Flu season intensifies across the US

The following originally appeared on APHA’s Public Health Newswire blog.

Flu cases are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest edition of FluView, its weekly influenza surveillance report, U.S. flu activity is increasing in strength and expanding its reach to more areas of the country. As of Dec. 27, 43 states reported “high or widespread influenza activity,” resulting most commonly from drifted influenza A viruses, or H3N2.

Data from CDC’s FluView on the 2014-2015 flu season also shows that 3,441 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations have been reported since Oct. 1; for the week of Dec. 27, 5.9 percent of all clinic visits were for patients seeking treatment for influenza-like illness, an elevated level for the sixth week in a row; and 21 influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported.

These trends are consistent with what CDC officials have seen over the past several flu seasons. With January or February typically being the worst months for flu, activity could continue to rise.

There are many ways you can protect yourself and others from the flu, including:

• Getting your annual seasonal flu vaccine, which is the best way to reduce your chance of getting the flu. It’s not too late to get vaccinated.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water, and covering your nose and mouth with a tissue if you cough or sneeze.
• If you do experience flu-like symptoms, staying home and limit contact with others.

Do you live in a state with high or widespread flu activity? Visit Flu Near You, administered by Healthmap of Boston Children’s Hospital in partnership with APHA and the Skoll Global Threats Fund, or download the Flu Near You app to track the outbreak and protect yourself and your community. Flu Near You is a free website and app that uses weekly surveys to track flu symptoms around the country.  Register to see flu activity in your area, find nearby locations offering flu vaccines and connect with local public health organizations.

You can also find out more about flu prevention at APHA’s Get Ready campaign, including fact sheets and other helpful resources.

APHA announces winners of its Flu Near You Challenge

Over the past year, the Get Ready campaign has promoted APHA’s Flu Near You Challenge, a contest that asked Association members to recruit users into the Flu Near You tool. More than 900 APHA members and 100 affiliated state and regional public health associations pitched in to help spread the word about Flu Near You, helping to recruit thousands of people into the system.

Flu Near You's new smartphone app
makes it easy to report your symptoms
and check flu reports near you.

APHA is excited to announce that 10 members received awards for recruiting the most users into Flu Near You: Tom Engle, RN; Ted Marak; Ken Rosenberg, MD, MPH; Jeneane Moody, MPH; Farideh Kioumehr, DrPH, DVM; Kathy Johnson, MPH; Lois Uttley, MPP; Rebecca Gluskin, MS; Patricia Terstenyak, MPH; and Chelsey Matter.

Although there were not enough surveys collected for awards to be made in the group challenge category, APHA recognized the Public Health Nursing Section, Oregon Public Health Association and Rhode Island Health Association for their hard work.

Even though APHA’s Flu Near You Challenge is over, Flu Near You is still going strong! Thanks to everyone who participated in Flu Near You over the past year, organizers have made many improvements, including creating a Spanish version of the survey and launching a smartphone app.

If you’re not already using Flu Near You, now is a great time to sign up. It’s free, and it’s a great way to find out if flu is headed your way. Sign up today so you can keep track of the flu this winter!