Flu season concerns in Mississippi and Alabama

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – The flu season is in full swing, along with COVID-19 still being very active in both in Mississippi and Alabama.

Medical professionals in both states want to remind the public to do what they can to protect themselves and others by getting vaccinated, washing your hands, and covering your cough.

Dr. Keith Everett, the Chief Medical Officer at Anderson Regional Health System said flu season usually continues until April and the hospital is currently seeing an increase in cases.

“We have been seeing some flu here and it is kind of mixed with different ages, but probably skews a little bit towards the older population, but we are definitely seeing an uptick in flu. Estimates show that somewhere between five and 15 percent of the population gets the flu each year in the United States,” said Dr. Everett.

Dr. Everett urges patients to call your primary care physician for treatment if you do have the flu.

“If you are sick, if you might have the flu, it’s important to call your provider ahead of time and find out what you should do and not try to walk into the emergency room or your providers clinic without proper advanced direction, particularly if you may actually have the flu,” said Dr. Everett.

Dr. Wes Stubblefield, the District Medical Officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health, said the state is seeing a very active flu season early this year.

“We’ve seen widespread flu active in all parts of Alabama and in Alabama as a whole. In the highest rates in the Influenza-like illnesses, we are seeing have been in the younger kids. The five to 24 age group. We haven’t seen numbers this high, this early, since 2009,” said Dr. Stubblefield.

The Alabama Department of Public Health advises the public not to take the flu lightly and to do what you can to prevent getting sick.

“We urge everyone that is eligible to get a flu shot that includes almost anyone that is 6 months and older to get an age appropriately flu vaccine, which there are multiple of them. We encourage that of course, as one number. Number two, we recommend that if people are sick, they stay home and try not to spread it to others, regardless of why they are sick. Potentially, going to get tested either for COVID-19 or flu, which have similar symptoms even in kids RSV. Then the other thing we recommend is to practice proper cough etiquette. Making sure that you are coughing into your elbow, keeping your hands clean, decontaminating surfaces,” said Dr. Stubblefield.

To find out more about how to get a flu vaccine for your family, contact your pediatrician, family physician, or county health department.

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