Home HEALTH CDC says the flu is now considered ‘widespread’ in Tennessee – WKRN News 2

CDC says the flu is now considered ‘widespread’ in Tennessee – WKRN News 2

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CDC says the flu is now considered ‘widespread’ in Tennessee – WKRN News 2

by: Alex Corradetti

Posted: Dec 2, 2019 / 10:37 AM CST / Updated: Dec 2, 2019 / 03:19 PM CST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)– The Centers for Disease Control say that the flu is now being considered ‘widespread’ in Tennessee.

Within the last week, the number of patients in Middle Tennessee hospitalized with the flu has increased.

News 2 spoke with Dr. William Schaffner, Infectious Disease Specialist at Vanderbilt about this. He says not to panic.

Schaffner says, “Flu has started  a bit earlier and more aggressively than it does this time of year but it’s not too late to be vaccinated, if you have not been vaccinated .. do not linger now is the time, this afternoon, tomorrow morning get vaccinated it does take 10 days to 2 weeks for your protection to develop completely.”

If your child is younger than 8 years old and has not been vaccinated for flu in the past, they will need two shots separated by a month to be protected.

Schaffner also says, “People who are sick should stay home nobody wants to give the flu to someone else and watch them get really sick.”

In the last week of influenza activity in Tennessee:

• The percentage of outpatients with ILI visiting the state’s Sentinel clinic  sites was 3.87.  

The CDC’s baseline rate is 2.4%.  4.0% of specimens tested positive for influenza viruses. 12 of 95 Tennessee counties have had at least one confirmed influenza-positive result in recent weeks.

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