As the flu continues to sweep the country, Oklahoma joined 25 other states with flu-like illnesses this week. It also continues to be one of 46 states with geographic spread of influenza viruses, according to new data released from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, early reports showed this year’s flu vaccine would only be 10 percent effective, due to the mismatched virus for the strains which are spreading this year. Australia, which uses the same type of vaccine and had their flu season during the U.S. summer, saw a record number of cases and higher hospitalizations than usual, according to KMOV.
Students on the Oklahoma Christian University campus have seen firsthand the effects of this year’s flu season, although according to a Twitter poll asking students if they have received a flu shot this year or plan to soon, 64 percent of the 74 respondents said they will not get the vaccination. Despite the lower effective rate, however, the CDC still recommends everyone six months or older get the vaccination.
“The recommendation from the CDC is to encourage people to go ahead and get the flu vaccine because it may decrease the severity of the symptoms,” Assistant Professor of the School of Nursing Kay Elder said. “All indications from the CDC says that the strain of the flu that they anticipated is not what it has turned into and so, the flu vaccine has not been effective against the flu.”
In an effort to help students and faculty on campus prevent coming into contact with the virus, junior nursing student Maegan Becker said the most important thing one can do is wash their hands.
“Anytime of day—if you touch a door handle, before or after you use the bathroom, before and after you eat—wash your hands,” Becker said. “Also, drinking Emergen-C can help your immune system and it makes sure you are getting the right amount of vitamins. The thing about the flu is, you do not necessarily know you have it right away. You will be infected but it can take 24 hours for the symptoms to show up, so you can spread the virus without even knowing you have it.”
New flu information released from the Oklahoma State Department of Health this week showed four new deaths in the state and 231 new hospitalizations between Jan. 3-9, along with 22 cumulative deaths since Sept. 1, 2017. There have also been 1,020 cumulative hospitalizations and/or deaths in Oklahoma since Sept. 1, 2017 and 789 new and previously reported hospitalizations with testing between Sept. 1, 2017 and Jan. 2, 2018.
“People tend to get more sick when they are tired, and I know with spring semester, there is spring sing, people getting jobs and trying to take classes, so all of that stress and exhaustion is probably a big factor of why people are getting so sick,” Becker said.
For this year’s flu season, the CDC encourages the inactivated influenza vaccine, or IIV or the recombinant influenza vaccine, or RIV. The nasal spray vaccine, called the Live Attenuated Influenza vaccine, or LAIV, should not be used this year. Oklahoma Christian students, faculty and staff interested in getting a flu shot can visit the Mercy clinic on campus. While the clinic said insurance usually covers the cost of the vaccination, the shot is $49.50 for instances when this is not the case.
“You come back from break and you are used to being in your own home, around your own family and suddenly, you come back to school and you are surrounded by over 2,000 people everyday,” Becker said. “You are sharing cafeteria trays and forks, people are coughing into their hands and touching doorknobs and together with all the stress and tiredness, I think it all just meshes together for people to start coming down with the flu.”
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