The CDC releases the latest data on the flu outbreak in the United States. New cases are rising and hospitalizations are rising. Gabriel talks about how useful vaccines are and what people can do to protect themselves from a bad case of the flu. Two-way Emanuel/Davis
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
This year's flu season is shaping up to be especially bad.
AND MARTINEZ, GUEST:
Yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released the latest data on how the flu is spreading across the country, and it's not a pretty picture.
MARTIN: NPR's Gabrielle Emanuel is with us now to tell us more about that. Gabriel, thank you so much for joining us.
GABRIELLE EMANUEL, BYLINE: Hi.
MARTIN: How bad is it?
EMANUEL: If you look at the CDC map, many parts of the country are experiencing the highest levels of flu activity, especially on the East Coast, the Midwest and the South. The CDC estimates there have been 7.5 million cases this season, up from about 4 million the week before. And remember; the flu can be fatal. More than 3,000 people have already died this season. Lisa Groskopf is a medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
LISA GROSKOPF: We expect that we have not peaked and will likely see an increase in the coming weeks.
EMANUEL: Experts say the virus is moving, and they expect there will soon be high case rates across the country.
MARTIN: So what's driving this surge?
EMANUEL: Well, one of the important factors is a new strain called subclade K. It has caused a huge number of cases from Australia to Japan to the UK. Here's Florian Krammer from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
FLORIAN KRAMMER: Because it has changed, there is less immunity to it, and this allows the virus to spread very quickly and widely.
EMANUEL: The good news is that this disease doesn't seem to be any more serious or dangerous, and our treatments are still working against it. But genetic changes in the virus mean this year's flu vaccine is a bit of a miss. This is because the vaccine was developed before the emergence of this strain. However, early data from the UK suggests the vaccine is still highly effective in preventing people from getting so sick that they end up in hospital.
MARTIN: Well, it won't keep you from getting the flu, but it will keep you from getting seriously ill.
EMANUEL: Right.
MARTIN: Okay. So there's been a lot of upheaval at the CDC this year. I think many people remember this. Is their flu data considered accurate?
EMANUEL: Yes, people both outside and inside the agency have told me that the quality of the data looks good. But some have expressed concern about the lack of a proactive flu vaccination campaign from the federal government. Here's Andrew Pekosh from Johns Hopkins University.
ANDREW PECOSH: I think the lack of real promotion of flu vaccines by agencies like the CDC may be contributing to some of the decline in vaccination rates that we're seeing.
EMANUEL: The flu vaccination rate for adults is just above 40%. This number has been trending downward for several years. The CDC's Groskopf told me that getting vaccinated is one of the most important things you can do. But I should add that I received a follow-up email from another CDC official saying that vaccines are a personal choice and that people should talk to their health care providers about the risks and benefits.
MARTIN: So besides vaccines, what else can people do?
EMANUEL: All the basic precautions, like washing your hands and wearing masks, work. And it's good to remember that antiviral treatments are available, and they work best if you start them early—within the first two days after symptoms appear. So it may be a good idea to take one of these rapid flu tests at home, as well as know how to contact your healthcare provider in case you need a prescription.
MARTIN: This is NPR's Gabriel Emanuel. Gabriel, thank you so much.
EMANUEL: Thank you.
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