Virginia is reporting a widespread outbreak of the flu across the state and is urging residents to get vaccinated.

Jessica Forres reports…



Laura Ann Nicolai, an epidemiologist with the State's Department of Health…says a flu outbreak is not unusual this time of year...

INCREASED ACTIVITY OCCURS IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY BUT WE CAN SEE THAT ACTIVITY IN A RANGE OF TIMES BETWEEN DECEMBER, EVEN AS LATE AS MAY.

The outbreak is expected to continue for six to eight weeks. Nicolai says it's not too late for people to get flu shots...

THE FLU VACCINE IS MATCHING UP VERY WELL WITH THE CIRCULATING STRAINS OF FLU VIRUSES THAT ARE GOING AROUND SO IT'S OFFERING VERY GOOD PROTECTION.

Curtis Allen...a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control...says annually about 1/3 of the US population is vaccinated. ..

I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING VACCINATED BUT WE'RE NOT NEARLY AT THE LEVEL WE SHOULD BE.

One reason, he explains, is short-term memory...

IF THEY HAVEN'T HAD INFLUENZA IN A FEW YEARS. THEY PROBABLY SAY WELL I DON'T NEED IT. BUT I GUARANTEE IF THEY HAD INFLUNZA LAST YEAR THEY ARE PROBABLY BEING VACCINATED THIS YEAR.

When we asked some residents in Arlington, Virginia whether or not they've been vaccinated, most of them said no. We caught up with local resident Brian King....

-IF YOU'RE HEALTHY AND YOU WORK OUT THERE'S NO NEED FOR A FLU SHOT
-HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE FLU
-NO

The flu causes 36-thousand deaths and more than 2-hundred thousand hospitalizations each year in the U.S.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News