HealthTuesday, November 3
Flu season is starting early in Louisiana, and a shot now will work by Thanksgiving
The Today in Lafayette team
If you've skipped your flu shot, now's the time. Louisiana and Hawaii were the only two states at moderate flu activity in mid-October, and the latest state figures show 8.3% of Louisiana flu tests came back positive, against 5.7% nationally that week.
Louisiana's flu tests run more positive and its kids less vaccinated than the nation's
| Louisiana | Measure | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 8.3% | Flu tests positive | 5.7% |
| 28.8% | Kids vaccinated last season | 40.8% |
Source: 99.9 KTDY
Dr. Fred Lopez of LSU Health New Orleans said this season started much earlier than usual, with almost all cases H1N1. He pointed to low vaccination rates and a large share of residents without health insurance as risks here.
- Staying home: until the fever has been gone 24 hours
- Emergency signs: trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, seizures
- Antivirals: prompt treatment is linked to shorter illness
- Adult flu shots last year: about one-third, 46th in the U.S.
98.9%of subtyped flu A viruses nationally were H1N1
That's of 371 influenza A viruses subtyped nationally in the week ending Oct. 24. Last winter's season was driven by a different variant.
Source: 99.9 KTDY
We suggest getting your shot this week. Protection takes about two weeks to build, so a shot in the next week or so will be effective by Thanksgiving on Nov. 26. Doctors' offices and pharmacies have them, and it's recommended for everyone 6 months and older.