The US is in the peak of flu season and Georgia is feeling the surge. This season nearly 3,000 flu cases have been reported in the state and there have been 25 related deaths according to the Georgia Department of Health.
Doctors are encouraging everyone six months and older to get their annual flu vaccination. Currently only 45% of children in the US have gotten their flu shot, and children under the age of 2 remain the highest risk population for flu-related complications.
This surge comes less than a month after President Trump’s directive to withdraw from the World Health Organization. While the February surge is expected every year, the collaborative efforts of the CDC and WHO that monitored the evolution of the influenza virus has been cut off. The data collected and shared was used to prepare each year’s vaccine.