The Napa County Public Health Division on Friday confirmed the first influenza-related death in the county for the flu season 2014-2015.
According to the health authorities, a person who was under 65-year of age died due to the complications that stemmed from the flu in early January.
The health officials said that the confirmed flu cases have rose in recent weeks in California.
In a statement, Napa County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith said, “If an infant, pregnant woman, older person or anyone with chronic medical conditions develops symptoms that could be the flu, they should be evaluated quickly so that they can be considered for antiviral medication.”
A H3N2 has emerged as the most vulnerable flu virus types reported this year. A H3N2 is the lower levels of influenza A H1N1 and influenza B. The health officials recommend timely vaccination for protection against different strains that are circulating and posing threat this year.
“Preventive measures such as ensuring everyone in the household gets a flu vaccine, washing your hands, and staying home when you are ill will help to reduce the spread of flu,” Dr. Smith said.
Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Napa County Public Health have strongly recommended residents to get themselves vaccinated against the flu. Anyone six months and older must get the flu shots in order to prevent the spread of the flu.
Meanwhile, the Napa County health officials said that the state law does not allow reporting of flu-related deaths for adults who are over the age of 65. According to them, this could result in underreporting of flu deaths in the county.
The flu vaccines can be availed from the doctors or local pharmacies. A study by the US Centers of Drug Administration & Prevention (CDC) has showed that the vaccine for this flu season is very less effective in checking the flu symptoms.
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