Glynis Crawford Smith
The Highlander
Banners are up announcing the arrival of flu vaccine and Burnet County already has seen enough flu-like illness to earn a highlight on the Centers for Disease Control Texas map.
“Doctors report cases and the CDC reports them weekly on the cdc.gov website,” said Juliette Madrigal-Dersch, MD, the Burnet County Health Authority. “They are still sporadic here, but on the East Coast the flu is pretty widespread. Cases won't be counted in the 2016 season until Oct. 4, but they have been confirmed in counties east of us.”
Dr. Madrigal's recommendation is in line with the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS): Everyone six months old and older should be vaccinated against the flu, especially pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with chronic health conditions. Those people are at a greater risk of severe complications if they do get the flu.
