UPDATE: Common flu strain associated with more deaths, hospitalizations

UPDATE 1/9/2017 5:45 p.m.: California Department of Public Health officials believe we could be seeing one of the worst flu seasons in years.

The Centers for Disease Control said there is widespread flu activity across the country and California is no exception. Health officials said Tuesday that flu season started a month earlier than usual and it’s more serious with doctor’s office visits, hospitalizations and deaths all increasing.

“It’s possible that the number is higher because the season started earlier so we’re further into the season,” said Dr. James Watt, chief of the Division of Communicable Disease Control for CDPH. “It’s also possible that this is going to be a higher year for deaths. That’s something we’re going to need to continue to monitor.”

The strain being seen most, Influenza A H3N2, is associated with more deaths and hospitalizations in people over 65 years old and in young children.

At least 27 people under the age of 65 have died in California. Two were in Monterey County.

Health officials said of the deaths, 70-percent of the patients did not get a flu vaccine. No word if the other 30-percent had underlying medical conditions.

Local doctors are seeing their fair share of the flu.

Dr. Michael Luder, a staff provider with Doctors on Duty, said he is seeing some patients getting vaccinated, others aren’t, either because they’re afraid of the side effects or think they’ll get sick anyway.

“All vaccines have a certain failure rate, so there’s a chance, albeit a very good chance you’ll get protection against this year’s influenza, you won’t get any protection from this year’s influenza if you don’t get the vaccine,” Luder said. “So analogizing to a game, you can’t win if you don’t play.”

Sharon Metzer doesn’t think the flu shot has ever protected her. She has gotten sick this year, but still doesn’t plan to get the vaccine.

In the meantime, state health officials are monitoring the activity.

“This appears to be one of the worst seasons we’ve had in the last, I would say ten years but again we don’t know again will happen at the end of the season,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Gil Chavez.

Some have questioned the effectiveness of this year’s flu vaccine. The CDC will study it in February.

ORIGINAL POST: California health officials said flu-related deaths have been higher so far this season than in recent years, raising concerns the illness might prove more severe.

Dr. James Watt, chief of the state’s Division of Communicable Disease Control, said Tuesday that flu season began earlier than usual and it’s too soon to know if it will peak sooner or continue to worsen.

Watt says there have been 27 flu-related deaths among Californians under age 65. He says the state typically sees three or four such deaths by this time in the season.

State health officials urged people to get vaccinated against the flu, noting about 70 percent of those who died in this age group were not vaccinated.

Health officials don’t know if the state’s hit peak season for the flu just yet. Peak season for the flu occurs sometime between December and February.

KION’s Mariana Hicks will have more from a local doctor about what he’s seeing here on the Central Coast at 5 and 6 p.m.