In an effort to maintain a steady stream of information regarding the current flu season, the City of El Paso Department of Public Health is releasing the most up-to-date statistics on confirmed cases of the disease in our community. The total number of influenza cases reported during 2012 is 3,094. That is more than three times the number of cases seen the year before in 2011 which was 873. More than half of the 3,094 cases were reported in the month of December 2012. A total of 1,704 cases were reported in the last month of the year.
As the 2012-2013 flu season continues, the Department will begin releasing flu data based on the current flu season. This means that flu totals will include the months of October, November, and December of 2012 and data collected during the first few months of 2013. This will help us maintain consistency with information being released at the state and national level. Calendar year totals will still be accessible via the epidemiology program website located at: http://home.elpasotexas.gov/health/epidemiology.php under the “Notifiable Conditions Reports” drop-down menu.
The flu season total for 2012-2013 is currently 1,989 cases with cases for the month of January still pending. This compares to 31 cases for the same time period in the 2011-2012 flu season. No deaths have been reported in El Paso.
The Department would like to remind the public that flu vaccines are still available at our Immunization Health Centers located throughout the city. The cost of the vaccine is $10.00 for children six months to 18 years of age who qualify, and $35.00 for the general public. Please call (915) 771-5822 to set up an appointment.
For more information on flu prevention, please visit our website at:
http://home.elpasotexas.gov/health/seasonal-flu-information.php and you can call 2-1-1 for information on flu vaccine providers.
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