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Health officials urge people to get a flu vaccine, with season predicted to be ‘rough’
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Health officials are warning people to buckle up for a potentially rough flu season, warning that a strain of flu mutated over the summer and is spreading in the U.S. and other countries. The problem is that the influenza A (H3N2) strain mutation happened right before flu season, which
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Healthy Happenings: Martin County Health Department scheduling flu shots
BY DOROTHY DILLON Flu season has officially arrived, and getting your annual flu shot is one of the best ways to prevent illness and protect those around you. The Martin County Health Department is now scheduling flu vaccines. Call 606-298-7752. We are located at 136 Rockcastle Road, Inez. Stay healthy, Martin County.
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Kentucky child dies from flu
FRANKFORT — A child in Kentucky has died from influenza, state health officials said Friday, marking the latest in a series of concerning developments as respiratory illnesses surge across the state. The child had not received a flu vaccine this season, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. “Influenza is on the rise across
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Updated COVID-19 vaccines approved; recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older
BY MELISSA PATRICK KY HEALTH NEWS As the number of COVID-19 infections grows in Kentucky, two updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that are designed to better protect against the most recent strains of the virus. “We are very excited to see the latest COVID boosters approved,”
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Flu shots limit infection rates, which are still elevated in Kentucky
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS The Kentucky Department for Public Health still considers hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses high and says flu activity remains elevated. Health officials say the best way to protect yourself from these viruses is to stay up to date with your vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that
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Respiratory illness in Kentucky resurged in the week ended Feb. 10
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS After weeks of overall decline, three major respiratory illnesses increased in Kentucky during the week ended Feb. 10, with children between the ages of 5 and 17 getting hit hard by influenza. The Kentucky Department for Public Health’s weekly report says flu and COVID-19 activity is elevated and increasing
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Seasonal respiratory illness in Kentucky declined for three weeks
Numbers still considered elevated BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Emergency department visits and hospital admissions for respiratory disease in Kentucky have dropped for three weeks in a row, but the Kentucky Department for Public Health still considers the rate of respiratory virus activity to be elevated and the number of hospitalizations to be high.
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State reports two children have died, one from flu and one from COVID-19, but hospital visits show first decline in months
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS As the state reported the first two deaths of children from COVID-19 and influenza, Kentucky saw the first drops in emergency-room visits and hospital admissions for the diseases in more than three months. The weekly respiratory-illness update from the state Department for Public Health showed a 21% drop in
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Sneezing? Sniffling? Climate change means U.S. allergy seasons last a month longer than in 1990 and have 21% more pollen
BY LAUREL SWANZ KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS With allergy season in full swing in Kentucky, those suffering from nasal allergies and asthma may feel as though the pollen gets worse every year. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says there is some truth to this – and climate change, which is causing warmer temperatures,
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RSV, Flu, COVID: Kentucky faces ‘triple threat’ this winter
BY NADIA RAMLAGANKENTUCKY NEWS CONNECTION The flu, COVID and RSV are rapidly spreading in Kentucky, and health experts say that’s a problem for hospitals, schools and the state’s vulnerable residents. So far, more than 20 school districts have temporarily halted classes due to RSV. At Norton Children’s Hospital, pediatrician Dr. Robert Blair said respiratory viruses
