Pima County health officials say respiratory illness rates are at their lowest point in five years. But they expect that to change, due to travel and socializing during the holidays.
"So it might percolate and smolder through the summer months. We see it and watch it very, very closely, and then usually around mid-December, it accelerates, and then it explodes. And right now, we’re on the verge of seeing that great big spike — the seasonal spike — that will go on for 12 to 16 weeks," said Dr. Andrew Saal with the Pima County Health Department.
He says there’s another concern this year.
"There’s certainly what they call a new subclade that’s going around right now, called subclade K. It’s been in the news a little bit. It’s not necessarily more infectious than any other strain. But the vaccine wasn’t quite spot-on this year," Saal said.
Still, Saal highly recommends a flu shot — especially for those who are immuno-compromised — saying it can prevent about 50% of cases.
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