Flu cases slowly rising in Utah

Influenza is hitting a couple of states back East pretty hard, and numbers are slowly climbing in Utah, particularly along the Wasatch Front. But what kind of flu season Utahns can expect and when it will really hit is a mystery, health officials say.

"We have increasing activity every week, so it is starting to hit," said Susan Mottice, epidemiologist in the Utah Department of Health. "Every influenza season is unique, so it's hard to compare year to year. It looks like only a couple of states are being hit pretty hard. And everything west of the Mississippi is in a nonoutbreak type situation."

There's no way to predict whether it will be a bad season or an easy one, Mottice said. Since September there have been 76 influenza cases in Utah, most of them along the Wasatch Front. No human deaths have yet been reported.

The 2004-5 flu season looks very different, in some ways, from last year's, which hit hard very early. It actually peaked during the holidays, but normally flu activity reaches its crest in January, February or even March.

"It could still look like last season (which was severe), only offset in time. Flu can occur anytime between October and April," Mottice said.

The flu vaccine shortage this year, prompted when one of two vaccine manufacturers stopped production, brought early attention to influenza. The vaccine was available only to those at high risk of complications before Thanksgiving, then was opened up to anyone who wanted it.

Although there are still "pockets of vaccine" available throughout the state for those willing to make a few calls to find it, interest dropped off steeply before Christmas, said Linda Abel, state immunization program manager, and picked up only a little this week. That's expected to change if the number of flu cases goes up dramatically.

There's still time to reap the benefits of a flu shot, said Abel. It takes two weeks to offer full protection.

Besides fearing that many people who could get the vaccine will not, should this become a severe flu season, health officials also fear that next year will be a rebuilding year in terms of educating the public about the vaccine's importance.

To find vaccine, Abel said people should first check with their personal physicians, many of whom still have the shots on hand. Some local health departments and community health centers also have some doses of the vaccine.

---

E-mail: lois@desnews.com