San Diego County has recorded its first influenza death of the season, while the number of cases has increased nearly 45% since the previous week, it was announced Thursday.
The 55-year-old man from the North Central region of the county died on Oct. 15. According to the county's Health and Human Services Agency, he had underlying medical conditions and had not been vaccinated against the flu. He tested negative for COVID-19.
"Every flu death is tragic and our condolences go out to the man's family and friends," said Dr. Wilma J. Wooten, county public health officer. "Unfortunately, we see influenza deaths every fall and winter and I encourage San Diegans to do their part to stop the spread of illnesses and prevent deaths."
The HHSA reported 856 lab-confirmed flu cases for the week ending Saturday, nearly 45% more than the previous week, when 591 new infections were reported.
County data also found emergency department visits for influenza-like illness made up 6% of all visits, compared with 5% the previous week. The county's total lab-confirmed cases to date increased to 2,528 — compared to 232 at the same time last season and a 196 prior 5-year average during the same week.
The influenza vaccine is available at doctors' offices and retail pharmacies and is covered by medical insurance. People with no health care coverage can get vaccinated at one of the County's six public health centers or a local community clinic. It takes about two weeks after immunization until immunity develops.
"Vaccination is the best defense we have against the flu," Wooten said. "It is still early in the flu season and we are already seeing cases spike, so we have reason to believe that the flu could be extremely disruptive this year. Protect yourself and your family now and get the flu shot as soon as you can."
During the 2021-2022 flu season, 4,192 flu cases were reported and eight San Diegans died from influenza. During the 2020-2021 flu season, a total of 848 influenza cases were reported in San Diego, including two deaths.
