This is the height of the flu season, and some Northeast Tennesseans are feeling its dreadful effects. Health officials are also reporting the number of deaths related to the flu are up in our region.As Press staff writer Sue Guinn Legg reported last month, officials with Mountain States Health Alliance have reported at least four deaths associated with the flu. MSHA Director of Infectious Disease Prevention Janie Swift said all of those deaths have occurred at Johnson City Medical Center, where 174 patients, including those seen in the hospital’s emergency department, have tested positive for flu since Dec. 1.Meanwhile, Wellmont Health System has not reported any flu-related deaths at its facilities, but officials with the system say Wellmont has treated 218 confirmed cases at its hospitals since October.“Historically, in this region, you will see it peak in January or February,” Swift told Guinn. “People still need to be wary. The flu is circulating and the best thing you can do is go get the vaccine, if you haven’t had it already, and stay home if you are sick.”The federal government’s Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends a seasonal flu vaccination for everyone except babies younger than 6 months and those with egg allergies or other unusual conditions.Typically, between 5 percent and 20 percent of Americans are stricken with influenza annually. Of that number, about 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized because of complications from the flu. Unfortunately, only a fraction of the people who most need flu shots (the elderly, young children and those with health risks) are getting them. If you are one of the many Americans who skipped getting a flu shot this season, we want to hear from you. Why didn’t you get vaccinated? Are you now regretting that decision? Send your comments to Mailbag, P.O. Box 1717, Johnson City, TN 37605-1717, or mailbag@johnsoncitypress.com. Please include your name, telephone number and address for verification.
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