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Health news and issues in the Ozarks.

With School Back in Session, Students Advised to Take Precautions From Flu

Credit: Flu.gov

Recent school cancellations due to poor weather conditions may have allowed enough time for students to recover from certain seasonal illnesses. However, the likelihood of getting sick may increase next week. KSMU’s Scott Harvey reports.

http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/students-advised-take-precautions-flu_75537.mp3

Amidst the flu season, an extra week off from school may have broken up the cycle of disease spread. But Kendra Findley with the Springfield Greene-County Health Department warns a new cycle could emerge.

“I think my concern would be more related to now we’re back in school with the kids, so we may see an increase in cases with the kids being back in school.”

Findley notes that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), students are most susceptible to contract and spread the flu.

In the past week, reported cases of flu rose in Greene County from 82-90, bringing the total since late September to 235, a majority of which occurred in the past month. Nearly half of those cases can be attributed to infants through 24-year-olds.

Missouri as a whole has been categorized as having a high level of influenza activity.

Findley says Greene County on average sees 750-800 cases each flu season. Last year, however, was the highest number of cases in the past 10 years, exceeding 1,400.

Officials advise it is not too late to get the flu vaccine.