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NIPH is concern about massive distribution of flu for Christmas

sick childSick child.Photo: pixabay.com

Number of flu cases is more than usual for this time of year, and the NIPH (Norwegian Institute of Public Health) fear a flu peak around Christmas time. There is no time to get vaccinated, warns the Institute.

The numbers from last week show that the incidence of influenza illness in the population continues to rise. The same number of people are hospitalized with confirmed influenza (based on the figures from the influenza surveillance).

At week 48, 76 people admitted to hospital with what is described as severe flu. That brings the number of hospitalized people with severe symptoms up to 197 people since Week 40.

Still termed influenza activity is lower than the max limit, but it approaches the threshold of low intensity, which in this case gives the start of that activity can be described as a flu outbreak.

NIPH therefore believes that it is urgent to get vaccinated before the season start. It takes namely around two weeks from the time that vaccine is administered to obtain protection.
Last week, activity was still highest in Vestfold county.

Due to this situation for the first time, on this season two outbreaks of influenza are reported in health institutions last week.
The figures from the monitoring systems comprise only around half of the population and therefore can be somewhat uncertain.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today