The spread of influenza in Illinois has climbed to the “very high” category, the most severe level of respiratory illness activity.
Hospitals across the state are seeing the impact as statewide influenza vaccination rates hover just under 22 percent.
“We’re busy,” said Dr. Brian Curtis, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for OSF HealthCare, which operates hospitals in Galesburg and Monmouth. “Right now, I think everybody is. Clinics and PromptCares and OSF OnCalls and the hospitals are busy with respiratory illnesses.”
Curtis said last year’s surge in respiratory illness was due to a combination of influenza, COVID, and RSV. This year, it’s primarily the flu.
“Our COVID rate is probably 20 to 30%, which is kind of a circulating rate, but influenza is what's driving this right now,” Curtis said.
This season, health systems are seeing a variant of influenza A known as subclade K. Curtis said the virus changes every year, and this shift is not unusual, nor is the variant comparable to something like the 2009 swine flu outbreak.
But because the strain emerged after vaccine production was underway, it’s not an exact match for this year’s flu shot. Curtis said the flu vaccine remains effective at preventing severe illness.
“The people who are getting vaccinated that still get influenza A, they have a lot less symptoms, a lot less severity,” he said. “You have about a 50 to 75 percent reduction in having a serious influenza illness which could lead to hospitalization.”
Curtis said flu symptoms include sore throat, body aches, congestion, cough, headache, malaise, fatigue. He said the vomiting and diarrhea illnesses circulating right now are not influenza.
While hospitals prepare every year for respiratory illness, and they pivot and adapt as illnesses surge, Curtis said this season is being compounded by low vaccination rates.
“Our vaccination rates are much lower than they have ever been in the past,” he said. “22% is really low. Usually it’s about 40%.”
Breaking that down by age group, Curtis said 45% of people 65 and older have received the flu vaccine. Up to 25% of people between 18 and 65 have received the vaccine, which Curtis said is normal.
But it’s among youth where immunizations are lower than usual.
“From 5 to 18, it’s 15%,” he said. “We have a huge drop in our adolescents and children getting vaccinated this year.”
Curtis said this year’s surge is slightly earlier than usual.
“Our prime flu season is January, February, March,” Curtis said. “This year it’s really picked up just a little bit earlier in January than you would think, but it’s only like a week or two.”
Curtis said it is not too late to get vaccinated.
“You can get your flu vaccine until the end of March,” he said. “I would highly encourage you to go out and get immunized if you have not.”
He also urged people who are sick to stay home and limit the spread, and noted that influenza is not “a benign disease.”
He said vulnerable populations include the very young, the very old, as well as pregnant women and people who have chronic medical conditions.
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