Local expert weighs in on flu concerns
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – With the news of multiple deaths from the flu around the nation and one in Kansas, KSNT News went to the experts to find out what it all means.
We learned that a happy, healthy four year old girl from Iowa had to be life-flighted to the children’s hospital at the University of Iowa as her parents watched, terrified. She ultimately went blind.
Officials in Texas say a 16-year-old died suddenly Friday, and health officials say the cause may have been the flu.
In Kansas, one nine-year-old girl died from the flu.
You may have been hearing about different strains of the flu. The doctors say that type A and type B have been fairly evenly spread. Doctors say that the worst case scenario is not something to get overly worried about. People who think they have the flu often have the stomach virus or something else.
While this flu season is more aggressive than it was last year, it’s also beginning to decline according to Dr. Korri Phillips.
Phillips is the Medical Director at a Cotton O’Neil Express Clinic in Topeka. She says the stories you hear about are more nuanced than just having the flu.
In many cases, people develop complications such as pneumonia or meningitis that can lead to death.
It’s still important to get your flu shot, even at this point in the season. The effectiveness of the shot doesn’t change based on the time within the season that you receive your immunization.