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U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

“Reported Flu Cases Drop 90 Percent in County”

Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com) (03/01/02) P. 6; Galarza, Milton Carrero

Southern California has seen a major decline in the number of influenza cases.  According to experts, the drop can be attributed to a variety of factors, ranging from an improvement in the way vaccines are manufactured, to better access to flu shots, to a decrease in the number of people traveling.  Dr.  David Dassey, deputy chief of the acute communicable disease control unit at the Los Angeles County health department, said that only 18 cases of flu have been reported since the flu season started in November, compared to 170 cases during the same period last year.  Statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the overall number of flu cases in the United States has been low as well, with only 13 states so far reporting widespread influenza outbreaks.  Dassey says that many of the influenza strains currently circulating are identical to the one present during recent seasons.  For that reason, many people’s immune systems may have already developed defenses against those particular strains of the virus.  The same strains were also incorporated into the current vaccine, therefore optimizing the level of immunization.

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