The flu continues to circulate in Clark County, with virus activity levels remaining elevated for the 11th week.
For the week ending April 2 — the most recent, complete week of data — nearly 30 percent of laboratory tests for influenza in Clark County came back positive.
Health officials consider flu transmission to be occurring in a community when more than 10 percent of tests come back positive — a mark Clark County surpassed in late January.
Flu season in Clark County arrived later this year, and flu activity has continued to increase since the virus first arrived after the New Year. But health officials believe flu activity is now peaking and should begin to decline soon.
But peaking flu activity doesn’t mean people won’t get sick into late spring.
“If people haven’t had the flu shot, they can still get the flu shot,” Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Public Health director and health officer, said last week. “We will probably still see cases in May and June.”
The flu shot provides protection against three or four strains of the virus, depending on the type of vaccine.
This year’s vaccine is proving to be much more effective than the 2014-15 flu vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that this year’s flu vaccine is about 59 percent effective. Last year’s vaccine was only about 19 percent effective.
Clark County has recorded one influenza-associated death this year: a female in her 50s with several other chronic health issues. Clark County typically has two or three influenza-related deaths each year, according to health officials.
