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U.S. Says Flu Activity Has Declined Dramatically

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This season’s influenza epidemic began with a bang in the United States but appears to be ending with a whimper as cases decline to levels below what is normally seen at this time of year, federal health officials reported on Monday.

This season’s influenza epidemic began with a bang in the United States but appears to be ending with a whimper as cases decline to levels below what is normally seen at this time of year, federal health officials reported on Monday. “The influenza season has really wound down dramatically,” Dr. Nancy Cox, chief of the influenza branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a panel presentation at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta. “We have had an early peak, and the activity is really declining, lower than levels that usually appear at this time of year,” said Cox, who added that health officials were keeping a close eye on the possible emergence of new influenza strains late in the flu season. Influenza is believed to kill about 36,000 people and hospitalize 114,000 in the United States every year. Exact figures on flu-related deaths are difficult to come by because U.S. doctors are not required to report such deaths. Public anxiety has been high this year because the flu hit the nation hard in early October, before many Americans had been vaccinated. The U.S. flu season typically runs from October through March. A subsequent rush for shots led to a shortage of vaccine in some parts of the country last year. Drug manufacturers produced 83 million doses of vaccine for the 2003-2004 flu season, far fewer than in the previous year when a large number went unused and were thrown away. A preliminary report released by the CDC in January indicated that the influenza vaccine that many Americans clamored for this year was not very good at protecting people against Fujian flu, the predominant strain this season. (Source: Reuters Health, March 2004)


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Dates

Posted On: 3 March, 2004
Modified On: 5 December, 2013


Created by: myVMC