Illinois health officials are urging residents to stay up to date on flu vaccines, as cases of the respiratory illness surge statewide.
According to the DuPage County Health Department, flu activity in the county is “high and increasing.” It’s consistent with reports from the Illinois Department of Public Health, citing “very high” flu activity in the state overall, the most severe of five categories of respiratory illness activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s scale.
The rise in cases, though typical for this time of year, is still a cause of concern, health officials say, particularly as the IDPH recently reported the state’s first child influenza death of the season.
With flu levels currently trending upward in the area, health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated.
“Vaccination has many benefits, including reduced flu illnesses, visits to doctors’ offices, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as making symptoms less severe and reducing flu-related hospitalizations and deaths in people who get vaccinated but still get sick,” said Cailyn Eckelberry, media spokesperson for the DuPage County Health Department.
Winter months bring a rise in the flu and other respiratory illnesses
Data from the DCHD shows that, so far this flu season, starting in October, there have been 33 influenza-related Intensive Care Unit admissions and two deaths within DuPage County. The majority of hospitalizations occurred in November and December.
In neighboring Will County, there have been over 150 flu-related hospitalizations since October, with 80% of these occurring in December, according to Kevin Juday, Communications Program Manager for the Will County Health Department.
“We saw flu activity start trending upwards around Dec. 6 as emergency departments began to see more than 10 cases a day,” said Juday in an email. “Ten days later, there were between 40-60 cases in emergency departments, and cases spiked around Christmas with 100-plus emergency department visits related to the flu.”
Despite the high holiday numbers, Juday noted that flu activity usually peaks around this time, and data predicts lower numbers this month.
“The good news is that we have been seeing that trend decreasing as we’ve seen numbers fall to between 20-40 cases in the early days of January,” he said.
Officials are also urging precautions against other acute respiratory illnesses — COVID-19 and RSV — as they are seeing a slow increase in activity levels.
Illinois sees low vaccination rates
Currently, nearly 23% of Will County residents and 30% of DuPage County residents have received flu vaccinations this season.
The DCHD says it is nowhere near the state’s goal of having 70% or more Illinois residents vaccinated against influenza. Officials emphasized that there’s still time to protect oneself and others.
“Getting yourself vaccinated may also protect people around you. The flu virus can cause serious illness, especially among older adults, young children, pregnant individuals, and those with chronic health conditions who are at higher risk of developing serious influenza complications,” said Eckelberry.
Other ways to protect against the flu
In addition to staying updated on vaccines, people can also take other measures to prevent contracting the flu. Those include regularly washing hands with soap and water, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and drinking plenty of water.
Health officials say those who feel sick or are experiencing flu-like symptoms such as fever, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, and headaches should stay home and seek medical care as soon as possible.
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