GA Officials Confirm 31 Flu-Related Deaths
The Georgia Department of Public Health confirms the flu has claimed 31 lives this season.
Health officials say the H1N1 strand of the flu, the same one that struck in 2009, is causing the most problems in Georgia, and nationally.
The number of flu-related deaths in Georgia has already more than tripled last season’s total amount.
“Across the United States we have about 30,000 influenza-related deaths every year. It just so happens that southern region this year has been hit a little harder, some of the Southern states. But it’s cyclical,” says January Smith, the District Epidemiologist at South Health District.
An audio version of this story.
Officials also say it’s never too late in the season to get a flu shot.
“It will either prevent influenza or it can also minimize the intensity of the illness or the severity of your illness,” says Audrey Martyn, the Influenza Surveillance Coordinator at the DPH.
The DPH says Georgia is among the 40 states where the flu has reached widespread status.
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