ClarksvilleNow.com Reporting
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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Reports indicate that at least 11 people in Tennessee have died from complications from the flu so far this season.
The Tennessean says nine of those deaths occurred in Nashville and its surrounding counties.
State health officials are urging the public to be vaccinated, and health officials in Clarksville say the number of cases has jumped, with many requiring hospitalization.
Benita Martin with Gateway Medical Center said the facility began to see patients in the ER with flu symptoms mid-November, with 2-4 cases per day. That number has increased to as many as 16 per day, with over 300 diagnoses so far. Many patients are being admitted to the hospital for the flu as well.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predict the number of cases will continue to increase nationwide over the coming weeks. One particular strain, H1N1, has been widespread this season, and affects young and middle-aged adults, according to the CDC.
“Here in middle Tennessee we typically see the highest number of seasonal flu cases in January and February,” said Joey Smith, Director of the Montgomery County Health Department. “From the reports that we’ve seen, we have seen a higher number of cases this year than previous years.”
Smith stressed that there is still time to get a flu shot, and implores those who have not done so in previous years to reconsider. “The vaccine has two functions,” he said. “The first is protection against the individual, and the second is to protect the community against the flu. The more people who are vaccinated, the stronger our community’s health becomes. You’re not just taking it for you. Take it for your neighbor, and for the person that may be immune-compromised.”
The CDC recommends a flu shot for everyone six months of age and older. Other preventive steps include washing hands frequently and staying away from people who appear to be sick.
Vaccinations are provided at the Montgomery County Health Department, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, and local pharmacies including Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Kroger. Physicians’ offices administer the vaccine as well.