Officials Breathe Easier as Flu Season Takes Its Time
The flu season in the United States is off to a slow start, with only Delaware and New York reporting significant outbreaks -- a relief to government health authorities, given the U.S. vaccine shortage.
Even so, the “widespread” activity in Delaware -- the first state to be classified at the highest flu level -- is a little misleading. The state meets the designation because confirmed cases have been found in every county. But the state has only three counties -- and six cases in all.
“From the data that we see, things haven’t really taken off -- it’s continued flu activity at low levels in a lot of places,” said Lynnette Brammer, a flu epidemiologist at the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It looks like New York, the mid-Atlantic area is where things are starting to pick up, but it’s early. At this point, you can’t tell how the season’s going to progress.”
Nursing home outbreaks in New York prompted the CDC to classify that state as having “regional” activity. Most other states listed “sporadic” cases.
Although flu season can begin as early as October and last through April, most do not peak until January.
Health authorities said the slow start was a relief.
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