Flu season is in full swing, and this year it has proven to be deadly.
According to Georgia Health News, flu-related deaths in Georgia have reached 25, and the disease has left hospitalized more than 100 people in Metro Atlanta.
Georgia is not the only state with an influenza problem, though. According to data provided by the CDC, 49 states in the U.S. are classified as having “Widespread” influenza activity. Georgia appears to be one of the states with the highest Influenza-Like Illness activity as well, according to CDC data.
The best thing to do to prevent the spread of the disease is to get a flu shot. And it is not too late, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The predominant strain of influenza this year hits the very young and those over age 65 very hard, and can be potentially deadly.
This year, the CDC has changed up its recommendations for the flu vaccine: it should be taken in the form of an injection rather than the FluMist. According to the CDC, due to concerns about the mist’s effectiveness during past seasons, it is not recommended this year.
In order to ride out the rest of the flu season more comfortably, you can take a few actions: track the spread of the flu through crowd-sourced data from places like Flu Near You or HealthMap, stay on top of the CDC’s recommendations for vaccines on their site, and most important, get a flu shot.
To see some of the locations where flu vaccines might be available, based on HealthMap’s Vaccine Finder, check the map below. Click any map point to find an address and phone number. HealthMap recommends calling ahead to ensure that any provider has not run out of vaccine.
