Flu season is in full swing

MILTON — As doctor’s offices, urgent care centers and hospitals are seeing, flu season is active, with hospitalization rates close to what they were two years ago.

Flu is one of the nation's leading causes of death, with roughly 24,000 people a year dying from flu and its complications. Latest figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the flu hitting hard in all but seven states.

Santa Rosa Medical Center has seen a growing number of flu-symptomatic patients in the emergency room since November. Numerous patients have also been admitted for treatment of flu-related complications.

While health officials fear this will be an unusually bad year for flu, it is too soon to say. The timing of the flu is unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the country and from season to season. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. between December and February but can continue as late as May.

The good news: it is not too late to get the flu shot. Even if the flu season peaks soon, it will still be around for months.

Santa Rosa Medical Group is offering flu vaccinations. Patients can walk in or make an appointment by calling 850-994-0431.

"Vaccination is the simplest step you can take to protect yourself," said Dr. Ann Gwinnup, a family practice physician. "More often than not, the patients I see who have the flu did not take this action to protect themselves or their family."

Consider these three ways to be safe this flu season:

Vaccinate. Get the flu shot for yourself and everyone in your family. It is available at your doctor’s office and many urgent care centers in our area, with many offering same-day appointments. The CDC recommends everyone older than six months, except people with severe egg allergies, get immunized. Both shot and nasal spray vaccine forms are safe and effective and rarely have side effects.

Get treatment. If you do get the flu, your doctor or an urgent care center can prescribe antiviral medication to treat flu illness and prevent serious flu complications. Children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable to catching the flu and experiencing complications. It is important to treat high-risk individuals promptly to avoid hospitalization. Treatment with antiviral medication works best when begun within 48 hours of getting sick, but can still be beneficial when given later in the course of illness. These drugs can also lessen serious flu complications.

Prevention. Stay away from sick people and wash your hands frequently to reduce the spread of germs. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and resist touching your eyes, mouth and nose. Avoid close contact with people who have the flu or symptoms and if you are sick with the flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading it to others.

"Though this year’s flu vaccination is not a perfect tool, it’s the best way to protect against flu infection," said Gwinnup. "Caregivers at our clinic and Santa Rosa Medical Center take the safety of our patients seriously, and we’ve had a high participation rate with voluntary vaccination efforts among our clinicians and physicians."

Online scheduling with select providers is now available at www.santarosamedicalgroup.com or call 850-626-5300 for an appointment.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Flu season is in full swing