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Kentucky Sees Local Flu Cases

Posted at 6:30 PM, Nov 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-13 18:30:34-05

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– Last year’s flu season was one of the worst ones in a long time. Doctors hope that this year will be better, but they’re already seeing cases of the flu.

The flu has hit Kentucky and doctors have slowly been seeing people get sick.

“I’ve seen two or three cases. They’ve been kind of sporadic, thankfully, but this is the time of year it starts to pick up,” said Dr. Elizabeth Hawse.

State health leaders say there’s a local outbreak right now. Sixty-six flu cases have been reported total. The most seem to be in Perry County and the surrounding area. The latest flu map shows one case in Fayette County.  Doctors say that there are likely more sick people out there, so they say the best thing you can do is get the flu shot.

“I know it’s not a perfect shot, it wasn’t last year, but it definitely decreases your risk of hospitalization and risk of death so go ahead and get your flu shot now,” said Hawse.

While doctors hope this year will be a milder flu season, two deaths have already been reported and doctors still have last year in mind.

“Last season was bad. It was definitely bad. It’s probably the worst we’ve seen since we had H1N1, since that year,” said Hawse.

Doctors say, get your shot and wash your hands.