Flu Season Appears To Be Ebbing, 4222 cases reported, but flu scare marches on

The influenza (“flu”) season appears to be ebbing.  For the week ending Jan 5, there were 4,222 laboratory confirmed cases reported to the CDC (source:  FluView http://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/fluportaldashboard.html).

Out of a US population of 312 million, your chances of getting the flu are approaching zero. 

But, the drumbeat of the flu scare marches on. 

Approximately 130 million doses of the flu vaccine have been administered.   Millions of prescriptions for antivirals, like Tamiflu, have been written (even though the effectiveness this treatment has been called into question).

And, although nearly 27,500 people went to the hospital for flu-like symptoms, only 1/6 actually had the flu, so the vast majority of these symptoms were for something else.  

By the numbers --

Laboratory confirmed cases reported to the CDC for the week ending Jan 5, 2013:

A (subtyping not performed)                          1,550

A (H3)                                                                   1,783

A (H1)                                                                         0

B                                                                                853

2009 H1N1                                                                36

H3N2v                                                                         0

 

Total:                                                                     4,222