Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Dakota County Public Health offers local flu shot clinics in the next couple weeks.
Fighting the flu this late in the season is still a battle, even though fewer cases are being reported, according to the Dakota County Public Health Department. "Flu season isn't over yet," states a department media release. "If there is anyone in your family who needs a flu vaccination, it's not too late to vaccinate." The department is offering flu shot clinics in March — all in Apple Valley — for a reduced fee for eligible children and adults. Check the department's website to see if you are eligible, or call 952-891-7528. Babies who recently turned six months old are especially vulnerable and should be vaccinated. Some children under nine need two doses, according to the department. March Clinics: All clinics will be held at the Dakota…
Friday, February 8, 2013
Minnesota Department of Health's latest numbers indicate worst of outbreak behind us.
Updated Feb. 8: Minnesota's 2013 flu outbreak is definitely on the wane. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported Thursday afternoon that influenza killed 15 more Minnesotans during the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2—less than half the number of deaths reported the previous week. So far this season, a total of 127 Minnesotans have died of flu-related illness. According to this report from the Star-Tribune, the vast majority of deaths and hospitalizations have occurred among the elderly. Also, only 108 people were hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza during the week. Three weeks ago, 476 people were hospitalized in a single week. The MDH reported that only one long-term care facility and 19 schools reported outbreaks of …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Officials at the Minnesota Department of Health noted a sharp increase in the number of serious flu cases over the last week of 2012, including two deaths in seven days.
State health officials have tracked an alarming uptick in severe influenza infections: In just a single week, over 200 people were hospitalized due to the illness. Two more flu-related deaths were also reported, bringing the number of fatalities for the season up to four. According to a weekly influenza report issued by the Minnesota Department of Health on Thursday, 226 people landed in the ER as a result of the flu during the last week of 2012. This number that accounts for almost 40 percent of all cases that have been reported this winter. All told, 578 people have required hospitalization since flu season began in October. The disease has been acutely felt by the most aged Minnesotans, though there have been several instances of severe…
Friday, December 14, 2012
The Center for Disease Control has issued a statement asking residents to take precautions against flu: Here's where you can get vaccinated in Burnsville.
Flu season is coming early in parts of the United States, including Minnesota, and some of the cases have involved severe illnesses. This time last year, flu cases were lower in Minnesota than they are now, according to data on Google's Flu Trends. (Dakota County-specific data is not available on Flu Trends, but flu cases in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro are in line with the state as a whole.) Overall in Minnesota, activity is categorized as "high," while it was categorized as "low" at this time in 2011, according to Flu Trends. And not only is the flu season starting earlier than usual, some of the illnesses in the upper Midwest are severe. "We're seeing what we typically see in late December or early January," Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the…
