On Wednesday, Oct. 16, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) reported the first flu-related death of the 2024-25 flu season.
According to state health officials, the first victim of the illness was an adult in the Charlotte metropolitan area who died due to complications of influenza in the second week of October.
There seems to be a rise in the number of people who are reluctant or unwilling to get vaccinated – perhaps due to some views expressed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while campaigning to be president. However, among state health officials, there’s no question that people need to get vaccinated.
This week, those officials used this first death of the season to encourage state residents to get vaccinated.
“This is a sad reminder that influenza can be a very serious illness,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore. “Taking preventative measures against flu and other respiratory illnesses like getting vaccinated, regularly washing hands, covering your cough and staying home when sick are important to help protect you and your family.”
According to a Wednesday press release sent out by NC DHHS, the cases of influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus – also known as RSV – are expected to increase in the coming weeks and months.
“Vaccinations are the best way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death from these infections,” the press release stated. “Vaccinations are especially important for those at higher risk of severe viral respiratory disease, including people 65 years and older, children younger than 5, pregnant women, those with a weakened immune system and those with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.”
Despite the advice of state health officials, many North Carolinians don’t get vaccinated, either because they don’t get around to it or because they’re part of the group known as “anti-vaxxers.”
One 88-year-old woman who lives in Irving Park in Greensboro said she was surprised when several of the women she plays bridge with warned her not to get the vaccine. The woman has always gotten the flu vaccine and is up to date on COVID vaccines as well. She listened to her doctor rather than her friends and went to CVS and got vaccinated. Aside from a temporary rash on her arm at the point of injection, she suffered no side effects.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older receive a seasonal flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine. RSV vaccinations are also recommended for those 75 years and older, people 60 to 74 years old who are at an increased risk of severe RSV, and pregnant women during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy to protect infants.
If you want to find out where you can get vaccinated in your area, visit www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines.
In addition to vaccines and treatment, the following precautions should be taken to protect against the spread of all respiratory viruses. You’ve heard the advice many times before but here it is again:
- Regularly wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based cleaner or sanitizer to prevent the spread of viruses to others.
- Try to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects that may be contaminated.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw away the tissue immediately.
- Stay home when sick, except to seek medical care or testing, and take steps to avoid spreading infection to others in your home, such as wearing a mask when around other people.
If you want more information on respiratory viruses – including how to access testing and treatment in your area – visit one of these three websites: www.vaccines.gov/en/, flu.ncdhhs.gov or covid19.ncdhhs.gov.
