George Robertson, who is chair of the Huron County Board of Health, gets his flu shot recently.
HURON COUNTY – Four cases of influenza have been confirmed in Huron County in what’s an early start to the flu season, says the Huron County Health Unit.
“To be at four this early in the season is quite high. This is probably one of the earliest seasons we’ve seen in five years,” said Christina Taylor, who is the public health manager.
She is encourage people to get their flu shots early in order to protect the community, including young children and elderly. The flu shot takes about two weeks to become effective.
Influenza, or “the flu,” usually comes with a with high fever, headache, sore throat, cough, and head or muscle aches. Most people are sick for two to seven days, although the cough can last for weeks.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is reporting sporadically occurring incidents of flu-like illnesses and positive flu cases in Southwestern Ontario, with 27 flu cases and four H1N1 cases recorded in the province from Nov. 4 to Nov. 10. An area is considered to have sporadically occurring flu cases when outbreaks of influenza-like illness in schools and workplaces, or lab confirmed flu in residential institutions occur in less than 50 per cent of the region.
In seniors and people with chronic health problems like lung or heart disease or diabetes, influenza can lead to complications such as pneumonia.
Many people confuse other flu-like illnesses that cause coughs and sniffles with true influenza, which tends to be more serious. Influenza should also not be confused with the stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis that is also common at this time of year. Symptoms of stomach flu usually include vomiting and diarrhea, not the breathing-related problems found with influenza.
It’s not too late to get a flu shot from your doctor’s office or the health unit. Once it arrives, influenza usually stays around the community for 10 to 12 weeks.
Influenza-like symptoms have been reported in area schools, and the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health reported this week there have been 11 outbreaks in long-term care facilities in the province.
The health unit recommends that people stay home and children be kept back from school if they’re sick to avoid infecting others and to seek medical attention if necessary.
A flu clinic is scheduled for today, Nov. 21,at the Seaforth Community Centre from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. For information on other flu clinics in the county, please visit the health unit’s website.
