Flu not affecting PISD attendance numbers

With flu season ramping up in Texas, the Texas Department of State Health Services reminds people who haven’t gotten a flu shot yet this season not to put it off any longer.
The level of flu-like illness is currently classified as “high” in Texas, and medical providers are seeing an increase in flu in multiple parts of the state. Getting vaccinated is the best way for people to protect themselves and their families from the flu during the holiday season, when there is typically an increase in flu cases.
DSHS recommends everyone six months old and older get vaccinated. People should talk to their health care provider about the best type of flu vaccine for them. A nasal spray version is available for healthy people ages 2 to 49 who are not pregnant, and a high-dose vaccine is approved for people 65 and older.
The flu season is usually particularly hard on schools, causing numerous absences each year. While the number of flu cases may be on the rise around the state, Pittsburg ISD officials say that the area’s schools have fared well.
“We really have not been hard hit by the flu yet this season,” PISD Superintendent Judy Pollan said. “We have had some students out, but we haven’t seen any signs of the flu really picking up yet so far this year. Not like we have seen in the years past.”
Mrs. Pollan says that absentee numbers at Pittsburg’s schools have been surprisingly normal so far during this flu season with all campuses reporting good attendance numbers.
Flu is a serious disease that kills an average of 23,600 Americans a year, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People over 65, pregnant women, young children and people with chronic health conditions are most at risk for complications, so it’s especially important for them to be vaccinated.
Getting vaccinated is the best way to stop the spread of the flu. Additionally, cover all coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, and stay home if sick.
 

For more information, see our E-edition at http://www.etypeservices.com/SWF/LocalUser/Atlanta1//Magazine44689/Full/...