Alabama health professionals warn about flu season peak

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - During flu season in Alabama, emergency department visits were up 101 percent less than two weeks ago according to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH).

“If you go back decades and decades, the flu pretty much always in Alabama peaks right around the first of the year. This is the typical time for flu to peak, I don’t know if anyone really understand why flu peaks in the wintertime, but it does and its usual and we should expect it every year,” said Dr. Wes Stubblefield, a medial officer with ADPH.ADPH monitors emergency department visits in Alabama diagnosed with a respiratory virus, diseases like COVID-19 and the flu.

“Most of the strains that have been tested by CDC are of the ‘A’ strain. The flu typically has two strains that circulate, ‘A and B’. Most of what has been typed has been type ‘A,”’ said Dr. Stubblefield.

Advice for the public is that it’s not too late to get a flu vaccine and that the vaccine contains three different strains of the flu.

On top of healthy habits like sleep and a healthy diet, those with current health issues are also warned.

“Everyone should understand their underlying risk for severe disease. Those individuals who have very high risk for severe disease, so, say someone who is undergoing chemotherapy or something like that, may want to be very cautious about being in public in times of high flu activity just because the disease can be so serious,” said Dr. Stubblefield.

Montgomery physician, Dr. David Thrasher said that the after September, the second-best time to get a flu shot is now. He also mentioned, it’s estimated that 10,000 lives a year are saved because of the flu vaccine, especially true, for elderly folks and children.

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