Public health official on flu season

(WTNH) -- The severe flu season has the city of Boston and the state of New York declaring public health emergencies. The status of the flu outbreak in Connecticut, widespread and increasing, is being closely monitored by the Department of Public Health.
  
"Some of the things that we monitor whether or not hospitals are so full they are closing, we have not seen that. We also have not seen them cancelling surgeries," said Dr. Jewell Mullen the CT Public Health Commissioner.

Dr. Mullen says the influx of out of state college students returning could spike things up even more so.

"What I'm hoping is that a lot of them have also had their flu shots," said Dr. Mullen.

A contributing factor this flu season is a particularly virulent Type A flu strain H3N2, which is covered by the flu shot.

"H3N2 also makes you feel sicker than some of the other strains of the flu virus so people who are getting sick are feeling worse than some other strains might make them feel," said Dr. Mullen.

For now, the supply for the anti-viral drug Tamiflu is sufficient and the flu vaccine is not in short supply.

"We have heard periodically that somebody may have gone to one drugstore for example where they couldn't get a flu shot but they were able to make a call to someone else who could give them one so in terms of the flu supply we're feeling good," said Dr. Mullen.

Dr. Mullen says also benefiting Connecticut is requiring children in daycare and pre-school to get the flu shot.

"So that means the last couple of years over 80 percent of young children from infants up to four years of age are getting a flu shot automatically, so we don't have to back now and reach out to those families to get those numbers up," said Dr. Mullen.