Influenza cases have already been reported in Kansas City

The flu is back on both sides of the border. KMBC 9 News spoke to a local health threat specialist and the best way to protect your family.

The time and pain of influenza vaccine can prevent people from being vaccinated, but the consequences of not being vaccinated could be worse.

"This is the best way to protect yourself from the flu," said Dr. Gary Salzman, director of the Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Unit at Truman Medical Center.

Salzman treats some of the worst patients with influenza in the hospital and has seen how dangerous the virus can be.

"We had deaths from the flu last year and many of those people did not get the vaccine," he said. "So it's a very simple thing you can do."

So far this year, 19 influenza cases have been reported in Jackson County. The city of Kansas City said it knew about three cases a week but did not have official figures yet. Johnson County, Kansas, has recorded 44 cases so far, although Kansas is not required to report the number of influenza cases.

"We usually start in October and then, between December and February, it peaks," said Salzman.

He said that the numbers for this year up to now are typical for the beginning of the season. He also wants to demystify a common misconception.

"Some people think you know that the flu vaccine causes the flu," Salzman said. "It's absolutely a myth."

Salzman said the influenza vaccine has been redesigned this year and that there is a high-dose version for people over 65 years old.

It contains four times more antigen than a typical influenza vaccine and is thought to be more effective in the elderly. At this point, Salzman is cautiously optimistic about the flu season.

"I think we'll better protect people from the flu this year than we did last year, but the bottom line is that everyone needs a flu shot," he said. he declares.

Doctors recommend that you get a flu shot before the end of October, before the peak of the influenza season.

For more information on influenza statistics and resources, see the following links: Weekly Influenza Map and Clinical Services.

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