Fairbanks, AK - The Center for Disease Control is reporting widespread flu in 47 states including Alaska. But in comparison to other states, Alaska’s rate of Influenza-like activity is still considered low.
The influenza virus has been active in Alaska since early November. Doctor Brian Yablon. He’s a medical epidemiologist with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. “It seems like the flu virus has hit much earlier this year.” Yablon says flu cases don’t normally pick up until late December or early January. “Really conditions everywhere are ripe for the spread of flu," he says. "This is the season in terms of the winter weather in terms of people sharing tighter quarters in the winter and breathing the same air and getting other illnesses and spreading cough and cold symptoms.”
But he says tracking the flu virus is tricky. “We’re more likely to see flu tests done when someone has a severe illness or when providers are just really looking for it and that does make it challenging to compare flu rates between other states or within part s of this state.”
The rate of influenza infection is up across most of Alaska. In the Interior region, many people contracted the illness early on in November. According to one doctor, the emergency room at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital is relatively quiet, but in Juneau, staff at Bartlett Regional Hospital report an uptick in ER visits from patients with flu. The Mat-Su valley and Southwest Alaska are also seeing higher than normal influenza infection rates.
Nancy Davidian is a nurse at the public health center in Fairbanks. She leads a case management team that focuses on communicable diseases. She recommends everyone get a flu shot this year. “Since it’s been in the national news," she says, "people have been calling in more and coming in more. We do know that the vaccine is available from other providers and amongst other pharmacies.”
Even out on the Aleutian chain, the health clinic in Unalaska reports an increase in demand for flu shots. Some states are reporting a shortage of the vaccine, but health officials in Alaska say there’s still plenty to go around in the far north.