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Div. of Media Relations
1600 Clifton Road
MS D-14
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639-3286
Fax (404) 639-7394 |
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October 7, 1999
Contact: CDC, Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
Is there a new flu virus circulating this season?
Has flu season come early in the United States?
CDC officials confirmed that an outbreak of influenza occurred this past
summer among travelers to Alaska and the Yukon Territory and that it was
associated with an influenza A(H3N2) viruses that are similar to the
A/Sydney/5/97 strain that is included in the vaccine for the coming year.
This particular virus strain has been the predominant influenza virus
worldwide from the 1997-98 winter through this summer. CDC did not detect
any new variant or unusually virulent influenza viruses associated with this
year's Alaska outbreak.
Typically, a background level of influenza activity may occur during the
summer months in the U.S. However, such activity does not predict the start
or peak or severity of influenza activity during the fall and winter months.
CDC has not predicted when influenza activity will substantially pick up in
the U.S. CDC also has not issued recommendations for early influenza
vaccination. However, CDC recommends that people at high risk of
complications from influenza, including persons 65 years and over and those
with certain chronic diseases receive influenza vaccine annually starting in
October each year. Although the usual target period for influenza
vaccinations is from October through mid-November, unvaccinated persons at
high risk from complications should be vaccinated at anytime of the
influenza season.
-- Keiji Fukuda, M.D., CDC, National Center for
Infectious Diseases
Flu Season 1999-2000: See also...
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