ROCHESTER, N.Y. \u2014 It\u2019s been an unusually early and severe flu season in the Rochester region, but case numbers seem to be heading in the right direction, according to the latest report from Roc Health Data.<\/p>\n
The seven-county region around Rochester saw 1,028 confirmed cases of Influenza A, the dominant flu strain this season, for the week ending on Jan. 10. That\u2019s the third week in a row that flu cases have decreased. <\/p>\n
RELATED: Local Public Health Commissioner explains how the bad flu season impacts the healthcare system<\/a><\/p>\n The region saw the highest number of cases during the week of Dec. 20, with 3,233 confirmed Influenza A cases, before dropping. Jennifer Gutowski, director of infection prevention at Rochester Regional Health, said that it\u2019s too early to determine if we\u2019ve reached the peak, but she has seen fewer flu-related hospitalizations. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always a chance that there could be a second peak and we\u2019ve seen that in the past, but it does like we\u2019re continuing the downward trend in our Finger Lakes hospitals,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n As far as the hospitalization rate, it has decreased for two weeks in a row in the region. So far, there have been 24 flu-related deaths in the region, all being in Monroe County. You can explore the latest data on respiratory illnesses this season here<\/a>. <\/p>\n Gutowski said it\u2019s hard to definitely say why the flu season is so severe this year, but one reason may be that the vaccine wasn\u2019t a strong match to this year\u2019s strain. In previous years, the vaccine has been a stronger match. However, Gutowski said getting the vaccine is still critical to protect against the flu and prevent the most serious symptoms. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s still great effectiveness for the vaccine and it cas still can help to avoid any significant morbidity related to the illness that you would have if you didn\u2019t have the vaccine,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n You can get the flu vaccine at your local pharmacy or doctor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n