Flu season in full swing in Yuma County

Thirty-six hundred people died during the flu season last year including children, according to the Yuma Regional Medical Center. Every year the flu sends thousands of people to the hospital and in severe cases can even cause death.

Hospitals are encouraging the community to get vaccinated before the flu season actually starts to prevent more people from getting sick.

Dr. Angelica Alvarez with Yuma Regional Medical Center said that there are certain age groups that should take more precaution for this time of year.

“Children and also those who are 65-years-old and older are at an increased risk,” said Dr. Alvarez.

With the flu season changing every year, Dr. Alvarez explained the difference for this upcoming flu season.

“There are three main vaccines and there are different strains of it. There’s the Influenza-A and the Influenza-B and an H-one N-one, so when they make the vaccine they make it in accordance with that kind of strain,” said Dr. Alvarez.

She also explained how the flu is easily passed on from one person to another.

“It’s passed on by air droplets and by contacts, so if you do in fact have the flu or feel any of the symptoms of the flu, stay away from work, and children,” said Dr. Alvarez.

The flu season starts in October and typically goes until the end of March, but the heaviest time of the flu is from December to January.

This year, there have been no reported cases of people that have died from the flu in Yuma County.