If you haven’t been hit with the flu, you just might be out of the woods.
The number of lab-confirmed flu cases is down compared with last year at this time. So far, there have been more than 8,400 cases of flu, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Last year, there were more than 22,000 cases. So what could account for the disparity?
"It’s hard to say what that drives that difference in case numbers year to year. Flu is predictably unpredictable. The vaccine was a decently good match to the circulating strains of flu this year. While studies showed it was 50 percent effective, that’s better than it has been in past years," said Jessica Rigler with DHS.
Rigler says the numbers are the tip of the iceberg. That’s because sometimes people go to the doctor and they’re not tested for flu, despite having the virus. And then there are those who don’t visit the doctor at all.
