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It hasn't really hit yet, but flu season -- like tax forms -- starts arriving in the first week of January, health officials said. Flu season strikes
this week, health
officials sayThe season has been late in arriving,
but there's still time to get vaccinatedBy Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-BulletinState epidemiologist Dr. Paul Effler said the incidence of the flu usually increases as people return from the holidays and visitors come here to escape winter.
In 1999 the flu arrived a little early -- early December, by Health Department statistics.
But in 14 of the past 18 years, the flu season peaked in January or later, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
The CDC said the flu has been late in arriving this season in most of the country, with Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland and Tennessee reporting the most flu activity so far.
It's still too early to determine whether Hawaii will have a heavy flu season, Effler said.
The CDC said there is still time for people to get a flu vaccine. Flu vaccinations usually begin in October, although manufacturing problems caused delays nationwide.
Anyone 65 years old or older, residents of nursing homes, and adults and children 6 months old or older with diabetes, immune system problems or chronic lung disease are considered high risk for complications from the flu and should be vaccinated.
Women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season should also be vaccinated.
Castle Community Care is providing flu and pneumonia vaccinations Jan. 13 at the Health Fair at Kahala Mall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a charge of $16 for the flu vaccine and $26 for the pneumonia vaccine.
For those with Medicare Part B, HMSA 65C Plus and HMSA HPH Classic, the vaccination is free. For information, call Castle at 234-7142.
In an average flu season, 20,000 Americans die and 110,000 are hospitalized because of complications from influenza, the CDC said.