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January 31, 2003

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Health Officials: Between 900 to 1,000 Columbia County Students Fell Ill to Influenza-B" Associated Press (www.ap.org) (01/29/03); Yee, Daniel

Jonathan Adriano, district epidemiologist for the East Central Health District of the Georgia Division of Public Health, said Wednesday that an influenza-B outbreak in Columbia County affected up to 1,000 middle school students and lasted for about a week.  The outbreak appears to be declining now, but it caused an average absenteeism rate of between 14 percent and 18 percent in the county's schools, Adriano said.  Health officials note that even though the flu season is underway, there is still time to get vaccinated against the disease.

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