Napa woman dies from flu, officials say

“The flu is definitely in our community and has been for a couple weeks”. The flu vaccine can not give you the flu because the virus it contains is inactive.

Flu vaccines are made from killed viruses.

Flu shots are available through primary care physicians or at most pharmacies, such as Rite Aid, Walgreens, or Safeway, Massart said, with most insurance plans covering them.

The state health department reports that as of last week, 18 northern counties had significant flu activity.

The heaviest flu activity is along the east and west coasts, but it’s also circulating in the center of the country.

According to the Everett Herald, four people died of influenza in the during the last week of December in Snohomish County.

People who develop flu-like symptoms, especially those groups at higher risk for complications, should contact their healthcare provider immediately.

Flu can be a serious, life-threatening illness, even for otherwise healthy people. “It’s coming on quickly, earlier and stronger that it has for the last couple years”.

The best way to protect children from the flu is to get them vaccinated each year.

This season’s flu, the H3N2 strain, is known for more severe illness and deaths and is the one that struck in 2014-15, said Paul Throne, a state Department of Health spokesman. Most with the virus recover within a few days to a few weeks. “No, but it’s the only primary prevention step for the flu”, said Angela Dickson, who works in regional infection prevention for Providence.

People at high risk of complications from the flu include children younger than 5 years old, adults over 65 years old, pregnant women and those with medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes or a weakened immune system.

As flu’s different strains dominate each year, different vaccines are needed every time to fight back the virus.

In Thurston County, the overloaded emergency rooms prompted health officials at Providence St. Peter Hospital to activate a “Disaster Medical Control Center” for the first time in ten years.

Haupt recommends frequent hand washing, staying home when you’re sick, and drinking plenty of fluids to help prevent spreading the flu virus.

For thousands of others, it can mean a week or more of symptoms that include a high fever, muscle aches, chills, sore throat, cough, congestion, headaches and exhaustion.