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The flu season has not yet officially begun, but doctors are already seeing a lot of cases.
CentraCare Health reported 52 cases last week, compared with 26 the previous week.
Doctors urge people to get vaccinated against the flu.
CentraCare Health is the largest provider of emergency care services in Central Florida and, in recent weeks, its clinics have seen a significant increase in the number of influenza cases.
The flu season is officially back in a month, but Dr. Timothy Hendrix said last week that the number of confirmed flu cases at CentraCare had doubled from 26 to 52.
"You can not tell if it's an influenza case or if it's the beginning of the season, it's too early to tell," Hendrix said.
The influenza vaccine for the 2018-2019 influenza season is now available and doctors hope people will heed the warning, although last year's flu shot was not as effective as expected.
"The shot you had last year did not work very well, they found that there was a change in the virus, which is probably why we saw so many patients," Hendrix said. .
Last year, the flu season was the worst in years and some medical experts believe that the coming season could be even worse.
The CDC said it has made some changes for the coming year.
The CDC has stated that influenza vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses; that the nasal spray vaccine is again recommended for those who need an alternative to the vaccine; and experts recommend that people get vaccinated by the end of October.
In addition to the flu, Hendrix said there was also an increase in upper respiratory diseases.
Many people often wonder how to tell the difference between flu and colds. Hendrix says that if it's flu, the symptoms include body aches and no desire to get out of bed.
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