Doctors are calling for Northeast Ohioans to get their flu vaccinations as the number of flu-related hospitalizations more than doubled in the region over the past week.
Nearly 600 Northeast Ohio residents were hospitalized during the last week of December because of the flu, an increase from 250 people the week before, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Only 46 people were hospitalized between mid-November and mid-December.
It’s not clear why there are so many cases, but there is a way people can protect themselves, the Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Camille Sabella said.
“I would highly recommend getting vaccinated," he said. "The flu has really revved up and I'm not sure where we've peaked yet. Last year we really didn't peak until February.”
However, the vaccine may not immediately help because 90% of the current flu cases come from a new strain of the virus — a type of influenza A that is resistant to the vaccine, Sabella said.
While people who have taken the vaccine are still vulnerable to getting sick, the new strain should not be treated differently than other type of flu, he said.
“We don’t believe it is more aggressive, that it has led to more complications," Sabella said. "There are certain common-sense things that you can do if you're sick: washing your hands frequently, staying out of big crowds.”
Getting vaccinated is still important because the vaccine is effective against a common flu virus strain, influenza B, he said.
"In time, we may be seeing more influenza B than influenza A," Sabella said. "So it's really hard to know right now which one's going to be predominating a week or two or three from now. So the benefit of getting vaccinated is that it will protect you against strains that are currently circulating, maybe not the majority strain, but maybe more commonly circulating in the coming weeks."
Common flu symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat and body aches.
There is also a measles outbreak in Cuyahoga County involving three unvaccinated children in the same family. These family members are in isolation until the illness period ends.
