Local Health Authorities Advise Residents to Get Influenza Vaccine

DeKALB – Local officials urge residents to be vaccinated, which Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend to get by the end of the month.

According to a new report released Thursday by the CDC, the highest rate of flu-related deaths in a decade has been recorded during the 2017-18 influenza season. According to the CDC, there has also been a decline in the number of influenza vaccines in adults during the 2017-2018 influenza season. Although the influenza season can be very difficult due to the constant evolution of the viruses, the CDC has indicated that the flu vaccine is more easily accessible to people this year than ever before. The 2017-2018 influenza season was the worst influenza season reported since the 2009 swine flu epidemic.

Lehan Drugs – a multigenerational family pharmacy opened in 1946, located at 1850 Gateway Drive, Sycamore; 1407 S. Fourth St. to DeKalb; and at 811 S. Perryville Road, Rockford – 1,500 to 2,000 people get the flu shot in October and November.

"One study at a time confirms the need for vaccinations," said Tim Lehan, pharmacist and third-generation owner at Lehan Drugs. "The possibility that a person gets the flu if they do not get vaccinated increases dramatically."

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the flu season in Illinois usually starts in October and can last until May, with February being the most frequent month for influenza activity, according to data collected from 1982 to today.

The DeKalb County Department of Health, 2550 N. Annie Glidden Road, began vaccinating the public on September 10 and administered approximately 1,300 influenza vaccines to adults and children, said Cindy Graves, director of community health and prevention with DCHD.

"The answer was good this year, I think, because the number of cases from last year was so high," Graves said. "People appreciate the value of the flu vaccine."

Lehan addressed common concerns about the vaccine by saying, "[The flu vaccine] does not cause the flu since the viruses in the vaccine are dead. "

In the process Lehan is referring to, strains of the flu are rendered inactive but can still produce an immune response.

Following an announcement of the IDPH earlier this month on the spread of acute flaccid myelitis and the recent coverage of local infections by the Daily Chronicle, the public has expressed its concerns about the AFM and a possible link with the influenza vaccine.

"The CDC continues its research on the AFM virus and is interested in all possibilities [causes]", Said Graves." However, to date, there is no proven correlation between the flu shot or the flu virus itself. "

Lehan said he and his pharmacists were trying their best to educate residents who frequent Lehan Drugs about their concerns.

The CDC recommends that all persons 6 months of age and older be vaccinated against the flu each year, and that some people are at a higher risk of contracting influenza, including pregnant women, children aged 5 and under and people aged 65 and over.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Wednesday a new fast-acting drug called Xofluza, which is the first and only existing drug for the treatment of influenza. Currently, only doctors can administer Xofluza to people 12 years and older; the drug works best when it is administered within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.