Mosaic Life Care is blaming four deaths on the influenza virus.
“People take flu for granted and everyone got so concerned with Ebola when it only killed one United States person,” said Doctor Cynthia Brownfield with Mosaic. “When you think about flu… it’s killed four people at Mosaic Life Care already.”
Brownfield said the adults who died from the flu at Mosaic had other factors that put them at an increased risk.
“That’s why it’s very important for people with diabetes, heart disease, people who have cancer or the elderly get their flu vaccine to keep them more protected,” said Brownfield.
She said the flu season peaked here in Northwest Missouri around Thanksgiving and into the month of December.
“For our local area it seems like it’s declined a little bit but we still have what’s considered widespread flu activity but I have even noticed in our office that we don’t see quite as many cases as we were seeing three weeks ago,” said Brownfield.
New numbers released Monday from the Centers for Disease Control show 43 states are experiencing high or widespread flu activity mostly resulting from circulation of H3N2 viruses. 21 flu pediatric deaths have been reported this season.
“The children that have passed away some do have high risk situations that put them at increase risk,” said Brownfield. “But others were completely healthy normal children who unfortunately did not receive a flu vaccine and passed away from the flu.”
Most cases of this year’s flu have been caused by a strain that the vaccine does not protect against as well as others. But vaccination still can prevent flu or lessen its severity, so state and federal officials have continued promoting the flu shot and nasal mist, while also urging health care providers to dole out flu treatment drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza to high-risk patients as soon as they display symptoms rather than waiting for laboratory confirmation.
“There’s so many places for vaccinations now,” said Brownfield. “You can go to the health department, pharmacies, your grocery store and obviously your doctor’s office. We really want to promote easy accessibility to the flu vaccine.”
Even though the vaccination does not protect as well against all of the flu strains this year, Brownfield is urging people to get their flu shots because it could save a life.
“Nationwide it can kill anywhere between 14 up to 50,000 people per year depending on its various season and this is definitely proving to be a more severe season,” she said. “It may not protect you 100% but usually you’ll still do better because you did get the flu vaccine.”