Friday, Jan. 28, 2005 | 9:56 a.m.
A month into the official flu season, the disease's effects have been mild, county and state officials said on Thursday.
In Clark County, there have been 22 confirmed cases of the illness, senior epidemiologist Brian Labus told the county Health Board at Thursday's meeting.
Flu activity is also monitored by tracking the incidence of flu-like symptoms at medical facilities, and that level is slightly above the normal baseline, Labus said.
"It's been a pretty mild season, even nationwide," Labus said. "But that's not to say it can't get worse."
The flu season varies from year to year but often peaks in February. The mild situation so far is a relief to those who feared that a shortage of vaccine would lead to an epidemic. Half the U.S. flu shot supply was taken off the market by authorities in England in October because of suspicions of contamination.
The federal Centers for Disease Control announced on Thursday it was releasing the last 3.1 million doses in the country's emergency vaccine reserve.
Public and private health care providers can now buy those doses directly from the manufacturer and distributors rather than the government.
The agency also widened the categories of people considered at risk, lowering the minimum senior age from 65 to 50. At-risk people are urged to get vaccinated. The category also includes infants younger than 2 and other vulnerable groups.
"It is still not too late to receive a flu vaccination," State Health Officer Dr. Bradford Lee said in a statement.
In the 2003-2004 season, the flu hit harder than usual because it came early, peaking in December, and because the strain of flu didn't match the vaccine.
Authorities won't know until this season is over and tests are done whether the vaccine manufacturers guessed the dominant flu strain correctly.
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