Marin health officials push flu vaccine ahead of peak season

Marin health officials urge residents to get the flu vaccination before peak season hits the county.

As reported cases of influenza continue to mount, Marin health officials are urging residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

There have been three flu-related deaths reported in California already this season, including two in Santa Clara County, where an adult with chronic illness and a healthy child who returned from an overseas trip died. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 80,000 Americans were killed by the flu virus in the 2017-18 season, marking the disease’s highest death toll in at least four decades.

A rough flu season in Australia is also giving the medical community reason to be concerned about what it could mean in the U.S.

“We really want to get people the flu shot early before we start seeing people getting sick here,” said Danielle Hiser-Honda, the senior public health nurse and immunization coordinator for the Marin County Health and Human Services Department.

Hiser-Honda said just because Australia experienced the highest number of reported influenza cases this past winter that doesn’t mean it will happen here.

“But it can give us an idea about what to anticipate here,” she said. “As far as we currently know, the flu vaccine in Australia was effective, and I am optimistic that we will also have a good match this year. As winter happens and flu season starts, we will know more.”

As an incentive, Marin public health officials have set up free flu shot clinics across the county through mid November. The next clinic is set for 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Tomales Town Hall at 27150 Main St. in Tomales.

The county health officials administer about 1,100 free vaccines annually and distribute another 1,100 to partnering providers to offer their patients.

A full list of free flu shot clinics is available at flu.marinhhs.org under the “Flu Vaccine Events” tab.

The typical flu season kicks off in the fall, ramping up to peak circulation in the winter months of December and January. Last season, the virus made an encore appearance of sorts, with reported cases on the rise this past March.

The last flu-related death of an individual under 65 in Marin County was reported in January 2018. Before that, the county hadn’t seen a death since the 2013-14 season, according to public health officials.

“It is so common, it’s easy to forget it can be deadly, especially for our older and more vulnerable people,” Dr. Lisa Santora, the deputy public health officer, said in a statement.

“Getting a flu shot annually is preventative medicine,” she said. “If we vaccinate as a community, we are also protecting the more vulnerable such as older adults, young children, and those with certain chronic illnesses.”

Dr. Mitesh Popat, executive director of the nonprofit Marin Community Clinics, serving low-income and uninsured residents, said 80,000 American deaths linked to the flu is significant.

“We don’t want the community to underestimate the flu,” he said. “Influenza can get you pretty sick.”

The California deaths reported last month indicate that the flu season is off to an early start, Popat said.

So what is the bottom line?

“Get vaccinated, and get vaccinated now,” said Dr. Shilpa Marwaha, chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permenante San Rafael Medical Center. “Getting the flu shot annually is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your friends and the greater community.”

Kaiser patients benefit from free flu shots. For more information, go to mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org and click on the “Cold and Flu” tab.

The flu shot is recommended for those 6 months and older. Some groups of people are more susceptible to experiencing severe flu symptoms. Those groups include pregnant women, children younger than 5 years old, adults 65 and older, and people with chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, asthma, and diabetes.

Flu symptoms include severe muscle or body aches, chills, a fever that lasts several days, headaches, fatigue, severe chest discomfort and a cough.

Public health officials say the best way to avoid catching the flu or giving it to others is for people to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth, which may become contaminated with the virus. They also recommend frequent hand washing with soap and warm water after sneezing or coughing.