If you've already been bedridden for a couple of days and had that dropped-from-a-three-story-building feeling in your body for most of them then you know what the flu feels like. It's awful. There is the fever, the chills, the body aches, the crying, the having to watch daytime television, and then it gets worse. This year's flu could be quite nasty and according to the Department of Health and Hospitals we have not really seen the peak of flu season in Louisiana.

Dr. Frank Welch spoke to the Louisiana Radio Network about this year's relatively slow start to the flu season. He says milder winter temperatures have played a part.

Probably a combination of warmer weather and things like that, but we really do expect things to pick up and we're actually seeing signs of that around the country.

Around the country doctor visits for flu like symptoms are down an astonishing 50% compared to last year at this same time. You might remember last year's flu shot was not a particularly good match against last year's flu. This year's vaccine seems to be spot on when it comes to tackling the bug that's out there now. That's why Dr. Welch offers this advice. He strongly encourages everyone to get a flu shot.

It goes to work immediately.  You get full protection in about seven days.  So there is still absolutely time to get that flu shot and be protected before it gets here.

Dr. Welch went on to suggest that it's not a matter of if but when the flu will begin to make its impact felt in Louisiana. Health officials from around the nation are beginning to see more and more cases of the flu and it's only natural that the virus would make its way into our state at sometime in the coming months.

 

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