This year’s flu season started out with a whimper compared to last year’s flu season, the 2017-18 flu season was one of the worst in years, with hundreds of deaths, thousands of hospitalizations and doctor visits.

If you recall, last year’s flu vaccine proved to only be about 30% effective, mainly because the flu strain(s) that circulated last year had mutated since the vaccine was created and manufactured (it takes about 11 months to create a flu vaccine and get it mass produced and in that time the strain(s) of flu can change and last year they did).

The main strains of flu that hit this year had not changed as much as they had a year ago, thus making this year’s vaccine considerably more effective compared to last year’s vaccine.

Even with a more effective vaccine this year, the number of flu cases has still been on the rise across America and there have been deaths. A week ago, our local news reported the flu-related death of another elementary school student. Like one reported a week or so earlier, the student was sick in the morning, and very sick by nightfall and dead from the flu the next day.

Health experts across the nation are warning that this year’s flu season is not over and may not be for another month or so.

However, there are reports of a second wave of flu that is starting to make the rounds, like this report from Louisiana:

“A recent jump in flu cases reported across Louisiana has been linked to the emergence of a second virulent flu strain, health officials reported.”

“The two dominant flu strains this year are the same ones as the previous flu season, which led to about 16,000 hospitalizations and 6,000 deaths in Louisiana alone, according to data provided by the Louisiana Department of Health. The 2017-2018 flu season is considered the worst in close to a decade with nearly 80,000 deaths in the U.S.”

“‘These two strains (H1N1 and H3N2) are both very serious and make you very sick and sick for longer,’ said Dr. Frank Welch, the medical director for the state immunization program.”

“The majority of emergency rooms in New Orleans began reporting a sudden increase in the number of people with flu-like symptoms and confirmed flu cases starting in early February.”

I heard a similar report on our local news here in the northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area. The local report indicated that the number of flu cases seemed to have eased off and then a couple of weeks ago seemed to suddenly increase again.

Listening to a national news broadcast, I heard them also report that a second wave of flu cases been seen across the country.

They all recommend that if you or members of your family (especially children and the elderly) have not gotten a flu shot this season, that they need to do so. Continue to take the same precautions that you were taking to avoid contact with sick people, washing your hands and don’t touch your fingers to your eyes, nose or mouth with washing them.