DOVER — Statewide flu totals in Delaware decreased for the third week in a row, according to the Division of Public Health (DPH). During the week ending March 10, DPH reports 290 laboratory-confirmed flu cases, down from the prior week’s total of 381 confirmed cases. The latest numbers increase the total number of influenza cases for the season to 7,433. DPH is also reporting one additional flu-related death, a 62-year-old female from New Castle County with multiple underlying health conditions, bringing the number of flu-related deaths for the 2017-2018 flu season to 31.

“We’ve unfortunately lost another Delawarean to the flu this season and we express our condolences to her family,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Although flu cases have dropped again, that is not a reason to take flu lightly. Flu germs can circulate even into the summer months, so it is crucial to continue taking preventive measures against influenza, such as social distancing and handwashing.”

Social distancing means that if you are sick, do not go to school, work, or other social functions until you are fever-free (temperature less than 100 degrees F; 37.8 degrees C) for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Wash your hands frequently and sneeze or cough into a tissue which you immediately dispose of. If you don’t have a tissue available, cough or sneeze into your inner elbow.

DPH emphasizes the importance of calling your primary care provider at the first sign of illness and taking antivirals, as directed, if prescribed. You should go to either your physician or a walk-in clinic rather than the emergency room when symptoms are non-life threatening. People who are extremely ill with symptoms such as trouble breathing, bluish skin color, fever with a rash, dizziness, or severe or persistent vomiting should seek out immediate medical help.

While the overall number of flu cases have gone down, DPH reminds Delawareans that as long as the flu virus is circulating in the community, there is still time to get a flu shot. DPH offers ongoing free flu shots at five State Service Centers. For more information about free flu clinics including dates and times, visit http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/fluclinics.html. To shorten your wait time, you can complete the vaccination form found at the bottom of the webpage and bring it with you.

For more information about flu surveillance in Delaware, read the weekly flu report at http://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/epi/influenzawkly.html. For general information about the flu, visit flu.Delaware.gov.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

DOVER — The number of laboratory-confirmed flu cases in Delaware is skyrocketing and one-week totals are now surpassing the highest single-week totals from last flu season. The Division of Public Health (DPH) reports that there were 650 lab-confirmed flu cases recorded between January 21 and January 27. The highest single-week total in the 2016-2017 flu season was 571. The most recent weekly number brings the total number of flu cases to 1,950 for the 2017-2018 season. The surge in flu cases comes with additional news that a fourth person has died of flu-related complications in Delaware. An 82-year-old Sussex County man, who had several underlying health conditions, passed away last week at a local hospital. Of the four flu deaths in Delaware this season, two have been Sussex County residents and two have been New Castle County residents.

Influenza-like illness continues to increase in Delaware, and across the nation. Activity is the highest seen in the last five flu seasons. Additionally, the number of flu-related hospitalizations nationwide is the highest in a decade. In Delaware, the number of hospitalizations as of January 27 is 398, more than double last year’s total of 158 for the same timeframe. With the increasing number of flu cases, DPH is reminding Delawareans that they should still seek out a flu vaccine if they have not already done so.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who have passed away from flu-related complications,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “As long as flu viruses are still circulating, it is not too late to get a flu vaccine. It is difficult to tell when flu season will peak, but all signs indicate we are likely to continue to see elevated levels of flu activity for weeks to come.”

While some individual medical providers are reporting a shortage of the flu vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates there is enough available and those who need a shot may have to call a few more places to find it. Residents are urged to first contact their primary care provider for a shot, or to visit https://vaccinefinder.org/. Additionally, Delawareans can visit flu.delaware.gov/ or call DPH at 1-800-282-8672 for a list of Public Health Clinics within State Service Centers that are providing the vaccine.

While hospitalizations are hitting the elderly particularly hard, infants and children have been most heavily affected by the recent surge in Delaware flu cases in general. Infants and children ages birth to 4 years old account for 277 of the season’s cases. Combined with children ages 5 to 9 years (221 cases), they make up one-quarter of this season’s flu cases. Children of elementary and middle school ages (5 to 13 years) account for 376 of the season’s cases. When those of high school age are added in, the overall number of school-age children affected by the flu this season rises to 400.

DPH has been contacted by schools concerned about large numbers of student absences due to widespread flu activity. The Division is preparing a letter with recommendations on how to prevent and reduce the spread of the influenza virus that will be sent to schools and child care centers throughout the state.

Individuals who develop influenza-like-illness symptoms are encouraged to contact their primary care provider (PCP) for treatment recommendations, or visit a walk-in care center if you do not have a PCP, instead of going to the emergency room unless you are extremely ill with symptoms such as trouble breathing, bluish skin color, fever with a rash, dizziness or severe or persistent vomiting. Your primary care provider may decide to provide antiviral medications to help speed up recovery and prevent serious complications without an in-office visit. DPH asks medical providers to begin antiviral treatment for all hospitalized patients and all high-risk patients with suspected influenza.

In addition to getting a flu vaccine and taking antivirals, you can prevent the spread of flu germs by:

• Washing your hands frequently with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers;
• Covering sneezes and coughs with a tissue, and disposing of tissues immediately; if no tissue is available sneezing or coughing into your inner elbow;
• Practicing social distancing.

Social distancing means that those sick with the flu should stay home from work, school, and other gatherings, and not return until they have been free of fever – with a temperature less than 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours. They should avoid close contact with well people in the household, and stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other clear liquids.

For more information about flu surveillance in Delaware, read the weekly flu report at dhss.delaware.gov/dph/epi/influenzawkly.html.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

DOVER – Lab-confirmed cases of influenza in Delaware have increased significantly over the last few weeks. The week ending Dec. 30, 2017, saw 142 confirmed flu cases, an increase of 48 percent over the previous week. For those who have not yet gotten their flu vaccine this season, the Division of Public Health (DPH) is providing another opportunity for Delawareans to get a shot at its annual Legislative Hall flu clinic.

The clinic, which is also open to the public, will be held Jan. 17, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Legislative Hall Library. DPH staff will administer flu shots to Delawareans 6 months of age and older. Adults should bring photo identification for admittance to Legislative Hall and do not need appointments. Persons with Medicaid or Medicare should bring insurance cards. Legislative Hall is located at 411 Legislative Ave., Dover, DE 19901. Free street and lot parking is available.

“With a 48 percent increase in flu cases during this past week, I urge Delawareans to take the flu seriously, and if you have not already done so, to get your flu vaccine as soon as possible,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “January is not too late to get a flu shot, and in fact, as long as flu is still circulating in the community, those who have not received a shot can still get one.”

Delaware is one of 46 states reporting widespread influenza activity, according to the DPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There have been 370 laboratory-confirmed flu cases so far during the 2017-2018 flu season, with 95 hospitalizations and two deaths.

DPH asks people who have flu symptoms, and especially those at high risk for complications, to contact their primary care provider immediately to begin treatment. DPH also asks medical providers to begin antiviral treatment for all hospitalized patients and all high-risk patients with suspected influenza. Antiviral medications are prescribed by health care providers to lessen the symptoms, shorten the illness, and prevent complications of flu illnesses. Antivirals work best when administered within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms and are particularly important for pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions.

In addition to getting a flu shot and taking antiviral medication, DPH recommends:

• Keeping your distance from others if you have cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Washing your hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
• Covering sneezes and coughs with a tissue, and disposing of tissues immediately; if no tissue is available sneezing or coughing into your inner elbow.
• Staying home if you are sick until you are free of fever for 24 hours – with a temperature of less than 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C), without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours.

Flu vaccines continue to be available at many pharmacies and grocery stores, and through primary care physicians and some specialists. To find participating stores, enter your zip code in the CDC flu vaccine finder at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/. For more information about the flu, visit http://flu.delaware.gov or call DPH at 1-800-282-8672.

Flu shots are still available at DPH clinics located within the State Service Centers:

• Hudson State Service Center, 501 Ogletown Road, Newark. For all ages, including children age 6 months and older. Call 302-283-7587 (choose Option 2) to make an appointment Monday through Friday.
• Williams State Service Center, 805 River Road, Dover. For all ages, including children age 6 months and older. Call 302-857-5140 to make an appointment Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m.to 3:30 p.m.
• Milford State Service Center – Riverwalk, 253 N.E. Front St., Milford. For ages 9 years and older. Call 302-424-7130 to make an appointment on Mondays only, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Anna C. Shipley State Service Center, 350 Virginia Ave., Seaford. For all ages, including children age 6 months and older. Walk-ins welcome Fridays only, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. For information, call 302-628-6772.

For more information about flu surveillance in Delaware, read the Week 52 flu report at http://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/epi/influenzawkly.html.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

DOVER — The Division of Public Health (DPH) is reporting the first flu-related death of the 2017-2018 flu season. The individual, a 47-year-old male from New Castle County, passed away last week at a local hospital. The man, who was infected with influenza A, was a resident of a long-term care facility and had multiple underlying health conditions.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the gentleman’s family during this difficult time,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “His death is a reminder of how serious the flu can be, especially among vulnerable populations. We often think of the very young and seniors when we think of the vulnerable, but people at any age with underlying health conditions are also at a greater risk of the flu and serious complications stemming from it.”

As of Dec. 2, 2017, there are 46 laboratory-confirmed flu cases in Delaware for the 2017-2018 season with 15 requiring hospitalization. For the same time frame last flu season, there were 42 lab-confirmed cases statewide and also 15 hospitalizations.

Concerns have been expressed that the U.S. could see a difficult flu season, because this year’s flu season in Australia — which is typically a good measuring stick for how the season will unfold in the United States — has been particularly harsh, with more cases, hospitalizations and deaths compared with the season last year. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) flu experts say that flu is difficult to predict, and it’s still too early in our season to determine when the flu season will peak in the United States, how severe it will be, or what viruses will predominate.

Public Health officials say this is why getting the flu vaccine is so important. “Getting your annual flu vaccine is still your first and best line of defense against the influenza virus,” said Dr. Rattay.

In addition to getting vaccinated the following additional preventive steps are critically important to stopping the spread of flu:

• At this time of the year, it’s important to keep your distance from others if you have cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
• Cover sneezes and coughs with a tissue, and dispose of tissues immediately; if no tissue is available sneeze or cough into your inner elbow.
• Stay home if you are sick until you are fever free for 24 hours – with a temperature of less than 100◦ F (37.8◦ C), without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours.
• If you suspect you have influenza, call your doctor as they may decide to provide antiviral medications to help hasten recovery and prevent serious complications

DPH continues to offer the vaccine at five State Service Centers. Information for these sites can be found at http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/fluclinics.html. You can also Google “CDC Flu Finder” and enter your ZIP code. Additionally, the vaccine is available through many medical providers, pharmacies, and some grocery stores.

DPH recommends anyone, 6 months of age and older, who has not yet been vaccinated against the flu, to do so as soon as possible as it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against influenza virus infection. Children 6 months to 8 years getting vaccinated for the first time, should get two doses of vaccine.

For more information on influenza prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, call DPH at 1-800-282-8672 or visit flu.delaware.gov.
A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

DOVER – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is reporting the state’s first laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza in Sussex County, for the 2017-2018 flu season. The Sussex County case involves a 65-year old female. This brings the total number of flu cases this season to seven. The other six were announced last week. Three are from Kent County and three are from New Castle County. There are two main types of influenza (flu) virus – types A and B – that routinely spread in people and are responsible for seasonal flu outbreaks each year. All seven cases of the lab-confirmed influenza cases are type A.

DPH urges all Delawareans 6 months of age and older to get vaccinated soon if they have not yet done so. The flu is easy to transmit and you can get it even from seemingly healthy, but unvaccinated, children and adults. Since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against influenza virus infection, it is important to get the flu shot as early as possible to give your body time to build immunity. The intranasal vaccine (flu mist) is not being recommended this year based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s analysis, which showed the intramuscular vaccine was better at protecting against certain strains of influenza.

Vaccinations not only prevent people from getting the flu, but they can reduce the severity of flu illness and prevent visits to the doctor, clinic, emergency room, hospitalizations, and serious consequences (including death) from influenza. Vaccinated people have less chance of missing family, school and work events due to influenza illness.

Getting a flu vaccination is easy. They are offered through physician offices, many pharmacies and some grocery stores. DPH is also offering flu vaccines at its Public Health clinics in several State Service Centers including some with evening hours. For more information about the flu and where to get vaccinated, visit www.flu.delaware.gov, call 1-800-282-8672, or Google “CDC flu finder” and enter a ZIP code.

Last flu season, Delaware had 4,590 confirmed flu cases, 15 of which were fatal.

Delawareans can prevent the spread of the flu and other respiratory illness with good hygiene: Wash hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and dispose of tissues immediately. If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your inner elbow. Droplets from a sneeze can travel up to six feet. Also avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Flu symptoms come on suddenly, and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches and body aches, chills, and fatigue. Some people get complications including pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections. Those sick with the flu should stay home from work, school, and other gatherings and not return until they have been free of fever – with temperature less than 100◦ F (37.8◦ C), without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours.

They should avoid close contact with well people in the household, stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other clear liquids. Over the counter medicines can provide symptom relief but if you suspect you have influenza, call your doctor as they may decide to provide antiviral medications to help hasten recovery and prevent serious complications. This is particularly important for those who feel very sick, are pregnant, or have chronic medical conditions.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.