State health officials predict rampant flu
By Wes Tomlinson
For the Enquirer
Alabama has had four deaths from influenza this season, and this area could be rated a “high occurrence” region for the illness, according to state health officials.
Two local pharmacies are reporting that more customers than usual are taking precautions by getting flu vaccines.
“We do know we have had positive flu specimens in all public health regions in Alabama, so it is definitely here,” said Wes Stubblefield, district medical officer for the Northeastern District of the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Tennessee and Georgia are among seven states nationally that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says have high flu activity. The others are New Mexico, Kansas, Indiana, New Jersey and North Dakota.
The percentage of patients with influenza-like illnesses seeking treatment from Alabama outpatient healthcare providers was 3.28 percent in the most recent reporting period, according to ADPH. The threshold for the state having significant flu-like illness is 3.39 percent.
As of Dec. 28, the northern district of the state, which includes Cullman, Jackson, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan counties, was at 3.3 percent in ILI data.
“We’re just sitting on the line of being declared a high occurrence area,” said Judy Smith, administrator of the ADPH Northern District.
Stubblefield said the data is compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and reported back to ADPH, based on the number of people reporting flu-like symptoms – not the number of positive cases.
“This is fever more than 100 degrees, a cough and/or a sore throat,” Stubblefield said. “These are not confirmed influenza cases. They are just anything with similar symptoms.”
Smith said now is the time to be concerned about both the flu and COVID-19.
“We’ve all gotten back together again, and we’re not wearing masks like we did at one time, and there’s so much respiratory stuff going on – that between COVID, flu, strep throat and other viruses, it is the time to be extremely careful,” Smith said.
Tim Douthit, a pharmacist at Bendall’s pharmacy in Decatur, agreed with Smith, pointing out there were low flu numbers this past year because mandated COVID-19 prevention protocols – such as social distancing, masking and using hand sanitizer – also combated influenza.
“Those three things are not happening near the level that they were last year,” Douthit said. “You can walk around, and you don’t see the number of people wearing masks like we did last year, and the other two things are definitely not happening.”
Douthit said he has given flu vaccines to about 700 people this year, which he said is a 40 percent increase over the past year.
Douthit, who has been a pharmacist for 32 years, said a big reason his clients have been getting flu vaccines is because he and his staff have educated those who have been misinformed about the flu vaccine.
“What I ran into was so much confusion with people we talked to,” Douthit said. “I would ask if they were going to get their flu vaccine this year, and they would tell me no. When I asked why not, they would say, ‘Because I’ve got my COVID vaccine.’”
Douthit said after he spoke with his clients, a lot of them started getting flu vaccines.
Payless Pharmacy on Seventh Street Southeast in Decatur has given flu vaccines to more than 800 individuals this year.
“We probably had triple what we had last year,” said Blake Gowen, a pharmacist at Payless. “Last year, we had a moderate amount, which is pretty average for us.”
Gowen said the pharmacy actually ran out of flu vaccines this year and had to order more. “Usually we have a little bit of overage but not this year.”
Gowen said he believes the effectiveness of the COVID vaccines are motivating individuals to look into other vaccines as well, which is why so many are getting flu vaccines.
Smith said ADPH endorses the flu vaccine and hopes that people will get both the flu and COVID vaccines.
“You can get (both vaccines) together,” Smith said, “one in one arm and one in the other.”
