The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE country’s chief medical officer confirmed that there has been a “slight increase” in the number of reported flu cases in children around the country, but said that health officials are “prepared” and “ready” to handle the rise in cases.

Dr Glen Beneby told The Tribune that in addition to increased cases in children, his office is expecting an increase in the number of cases reported in adults.

“We have not seen to this point an increase in adult cases,” Dr Beneby said. “That may change later on.

“American reports indicate an increase in adult cases and usually when there is an increase in cases in the US we experience to a degree, increased cases locally.”

Recent reports from the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) have suggested that flu cases this season increased substantially compared to the year before. In some states, reported flu cases have increased by 30 per cent.

According to the latest Florida Health Department statistics, 27 of 37 (73 per cent) specimens submitted for influenza testing were positive for seasonal strains of influenza.

Dr Beneby said: “At this point there has been a good response from schools and from both the public and private sectors of society.”

“More persons are coming in to get vaccinated. We have sufficient vaccines to meet public demand, compared to last year we have in stock 80 per cent more.”

He suggested that this “good response” to getting vaccinated can go a long way in preventing the spread of the flu this season.

International experts advised heading into this flu season that it would be “unusually bad” due to new flu strains. The CDC claimed that this season is on par with other seasons, but it is still too early to determine if it is yet an epidemic.

According to one CDC definition, the flu is an epidemic when a certain percentage of deaths in a given week are due to flu and pneumonia.

Past flu seasons have indicated that the flu season usually peaks in January leading experts to suggest that persons that have yet to be vaccinated can still do so. Despite the new flu strain, the vaccines have been well matched in roughly a third of the flu cases seen so far. And it is considered to be effective against some other flu viruses that could surge in the late winter or spring.

For more information on the flu or flu season, please contact Dr Ruth Bastian at 502-4737, 502-4774, or by email at RuthBastian@bahamas.gov.bs.