Visits to Georgia's emergency departments for influenza-like illness peaked in December.

Flu season got off to an early, severe start in Georgia this year, and it won't be over any time soon. Public health officials warn that even though flu levels around the state are mostly decreasing, people are still susceptible to the flu virus.

 

Flu season began in mid-November, peaked around Christmas and now  seems to be on the decline, a cycle that happened about a month earlier than usual, said Cherie Drenzek, D.V.M., state epidemiologist at the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), at a meeting of the Board of Public Health in February.

 

"But even though we have seen some decreasing flu activity, flu viruses (like influenza B) are still circulating," Drenzek told PHWEEK. "So it's not possible to say the flu season is over. It may continue for some time."

 

Along with its early arrival, the 2012-2013 flu season was also unusually severe in Georgia and across the U.S., particularly for people over age 65. About 750 people were hospitalized with the flu in metro Atlanta as of Feb. 2, and 274 of them were 65 or older. Five of the six Georgians who died from the flu this year were over age 65.

 

Drenzek said flu seasons can be more severe when the predominant circulating strain of the virus is influenza A H3N2, as it was this year. It's important not to take the flu lightly.

 

"CDC recommends that high-risk persons, including seniors, seek medical care as soon as possible for flu symptoms because antiviral treatment can avert serious flu outcomes," she said.

 

Thousands of people tried to ward off the virus by getting flu shots. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that this year's flu vaccine is 62 percent effective in preventing infection, slightly below average compared to the effectiveness of prior vaccines. However, the vaccine has been far less effective for people over age 65, protecting just 9 percent of this age group against this year's predominant flu strains.

 

Despite those numbers, public health officials say vaccination is still the best way to protect against the flu. Drenzek reminded Georgians that it's still not too late to get a flu shot.

 

Influenza viruses are usually most active from October until May, and their spread is facilitated in part by the colder months when people tend to congregate indoors. But Drenzek said it is still possible to get the flu during the summer months. Scientists can't really predict how long or severe a flu season will be because every flu season is different.

 

"When you've seen one flu season, you've seen one flu season," Drenzek told the Board of Public Health.

 

To keep up with flu levels in Georgia and around the U.S., visit the CDC's Flu View website.