Early Flu?

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I am in my second week of school and have 3 confirmed diagnosed cases of flu, and three additional students who presented today with fever of 101.5+ and flu-like symptoms. Anyone else seeing so much flu-like activity so early?

*My student body is only about 400 students

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

Flu never really goes away, it just reduces when we are naturally outdoors more often and not in confined environments. Our more sedate lifestyles are catching up with us and in the near future we may need flu shots every six month. You just happened to see this isolated continuity of the virus.

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https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/09/18/cdc-flu-shot/

I knew it! Flu is hitting early and severe this season- CDC is recommending getting a flu shot ASAP.

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Specializes in Oncology, Med/Surg, Correctional, and School nursi.

I work on at a primary school on a US military base in Japan. My student population is over 600. I have at several students and a few teachers out already with "flu like symptoms." In my many, many years of school nursing I have never seen an onset this early. Two years ago the seasonal flu vaccine became one of the mandatory immunizations. Last year our military version of public health reported that there was a significant decrease in the number of cases of the flu, which they linked to the flu shot being required. Flu shots won't be available here until the 1st - 2nd week of October. I am already feeling the doom and gloom of a long cold and flu season.

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Specializes in Peds, MS, DIDD, Corrections, HH, LTC, School Nurse.

One of my school nurse friends said she had a 3 positive Flu A cases and the kids didn't present with a fever, just HA and general malaise.

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None here in my area of South Dakota that I've heard of- but we've had soooo many cases of strep.

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Specializes in School nursing.

Interesting. I have my staff flu clinic set up for mid October (CVS does it all for free, just have to register and schedule - love it) based on previous years. I hold off to get my flu shot during this clinic to set a good example :). I haven't seen any flu related increased traffic here in my corner of the Northeast yet.

(We don't require flu shots for staff. But teachers' busy schedules, explored this., found it was easy and cost $0 and staff loved it.)

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