With more than 20 reported cases of the flu in Athens County so far and one death from swine flu earlier this month, state officials are encouraging vaccination.
On Jan. 7, a 31-year-old Athens woman who had been vaccinated died of H1N1, or swine flu.
The Ohio Department of Health reported earlier this month that with 833 influenza-associated hospitalizations in this year’s flu season, the illness is now considered to be widespread in Ohio, which means that there is an increasing number of related reports in more than half of the regions in the state. The flu season began in October and is expect to continue through May.
Since Jan. 10, when the department released the 833 figure, that number has spiked to 1,233, which is “quite a significant jump,” said Shannon Libby, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Health.
“Because the flu virus is now widespread throughout Ohio, immunization is all the more essential,” Ted Wymyslo, department director, said in a news release. “Immunization is the safest and most effective way to fight the flu.”
There were a reported 1,922 hospitalizations during the 2012-13 flu season.
There have been no pediatric flu-related deaths in Ohio this season and the department, by law, does not keep track of adult flu-related deaths, Libby said.
She added, “the flu is very unpredictable,” and Ohio’s current situation “reaffirms the value of vaccinations.”
Most of Ohio’s cases have been H1N1, which Libby said has been the most “predominant strain” this season.
Athens City-County Health Department commissioner James Gaskell did not specify which underlying problem could have affected the woman who died earlier this month, but noted that vaccinations are effective approximately 85 percent of the time.
In December, Athens County hospital laboratories did not record any new positive cases of the flu, but this month there were 23 positive cases out of 184 lab tests, Gaskell said.
“The most successful way of avoiding the flu is to get a flu shot, so everybody should do that,” Gaskell said. “It’s not too late in the season.”
Health experts at The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said people who could be at high risk for complications include pregnant women, children younger than five years old, people over the age of 65 and people with chronic medical conditions.
Vaccinations are available at The Athens City-County Health Department, Holzer Clinic and Ohio University’s Campus Care.
Campus Care has about 50 shots left after distributing 550, said Amanda Fox, the nurse supervisor at Campus Care.
“Since everyone has returned from break, we’ve had (flu cases) practically every day,” Fox said. “We probably had six positives since 8 a.m. ... so it’s definitely more than last year.”
—Dina Berliner contributed to this report
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