Flu Cases Rise Early on the West Coast as Officials Urge Vaccination
California's flu test rate reached 9.65 percent in early October, above the normal rate of 1 percent for that time of year, according to The Guardian.
Flu cases on the West Coast of the United States are rising earlier than usual, and health officials are urging residents to get the annual vaccine, according to a report by The Guardian. The report, written by Uwa Ede-Osifo, stated that flu cases on the West Coast are on the rise "months earlier than normal."
According to The Guardian, California's flu test rate stood at 9.65 percent in early October. That figure is higher than the normal rate of 1 percent for the same period of the year.
The Guardian reported that flu activity in the United States typically ramps up in December and reaches its peak in February. This season, the report said, has begun earlier than that pattern.
The report also linked the early rise to a mutation of the H1N1 influenza A strain. The summary of the report available for this story does not describe how the mutation affects how the virus spreads or how severe illness may be.
Health officials, as described by The Guardian, have stressed the importance of the annual flu vaccine in light of the early increase in cases. The summary does not identify the officials who spoke or provide case counts for the region.
No other outlet's reporting on the matter was available for this story, so the figures and details above are those reported by The Guardian.
Sources: The Guardian: Flu cases rise on west coast earlier than usual as US officials encourage vaccine.