This article was originally published in The Examiner on Jan. 11, 2018.
By Eleanor Skelton
Staff Writer
Texas ranks No. 1 in the nation for flu activity, followed by Arkansas, according to Walgreens’s flu index map.
As of Jan. 4, Beaumont-Port Arthur was the fifth highest area with flu activity, Walgreens said, with the Tyler-Longview area ranking No. 1, Harlingen and McAllen ranking second, Waco and Temple third, and Houston fourth on the list.
The Galveston County Health District offered flu vaccines at no cost to combat the outbreak. So far this flu season, 2,126 confirmed cases of the flu have been reported to
the Galveston County Health District, compared to just 185 during the same period last season, which is an increase from the 1,017 confirmed cases in the health department’s Dec. 26 statement.
Galveston County Local Health Authority Dr. Philip Keiser called the increase “dramatic” and said that the “early season spike could be an indication of a long and nasty flu season yet to come.”
The Galveston County Health District recommends that anyone 6 months of age and older receive the vaccine, especially high-risk groups like pregnant women, people 65 years and older, and those with chronic health conditions.
Jefferson County Public Health Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Eleanor Skelton 