The flu season in Alaska is getting worse, with no signs of slowing down, according to the most recent surveillance report by the Alaska Department of Health.

Anchorage Daily News reported this week that children are being admitted to pediatric units at state hospitals due to unusually high flu rates and respiratory syncytial viruses. The weekly flu report also indicates no changes in the situation.

“Based on this week’s flu snapshot, it can be seen that the rate of influenza is still rising precipitously and there’s no sign that it’s leveling off,” stated Dr. Joe McLaughlin. He’s Alaska’s state epidemiologist.

This flu season is unusually short and intense by historical standards. Alaska’s flu season usually runs from October to May and peaks in February. However, the number of flu-related laboratory confirmations began rising in October. It has now passed the February 2019 peak of its last pre-pandemic flu season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have yet to publish this week’s flu-tracking report. However, as of last week, the CDC rated Alaska’s level of influenza as “low” compared with other states. This is another indication that conditions may worsen before improving.

McLaughlin stated that “we know that influenza infection rates were highest in the Southeastern United States early on,” and then they slowly made their way westwards and northwards. The United States is the farthest west and furthest north state, so it could be the worst flu season yet.

McLaughlin stated that there was some good news: the flu vaccine for this year seems to be a good match with the most common flu strains.

This means that if you have been vaccinated, your chances are lower of you getting an influenza infection if you get exposed. McLaughlin stated that if you do get a breakthrough, it’s more likely you will have a milder, shorter-lasting infection. It also has a lower chance of death and hospitalization.

The Department of Health has published Alaska’s flu vaccine dashboard. It shows that only 20% of Alaskans aged 18 and older have been vaccinated against the flu in this year.

“We are currently seeing very low rates for vaccination against influenza and the COVID booster. McLaughlin stated that we still see a lot hospitalizations and unfortunately many deaths from COVID in the country.

He stated that antiviral medications can be obtained with a prescription in the event of an infection, but it is important to prevent any further infections, especially during the holiday season.

He recommends that you avoid holiday parties if your symptoms are severe and to use the same methods that were used during the COVID pandemic: wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding sick people.

“Our COVID rates are now much lower than last holiday season. This is a great thing. However, there are still many respiratory pathogens that we need to be aware of and high rates of hospitalizations, particularly among children. He said that it will be crucial for holiday shoppers to be vigilant and protective, and to try their best to prevent others from contracting a respiratory infection.

The Alaska Beacon originally published this story. It is republished with permission.