A free flu shot clinic is set for Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 255 Soledad Place in Coronado starting at 9 a.m., according to a Patch community calendar listing.
The timing matters. San Diego County is in the grip of an unusually early flu season that has already killed eight people and landed four children in intensive care at Rady Children's Hospital, as first reported by CBS 8.
Dr. John Bradley, a medical director of infectious diseases at Rady Children's, said the hospital has seen a sharp increase in emergency room visits and flu hospitalizations over the past several weeks. He attributed the spread to a vaccination rate of just 12.7%, CBS 8 reported.
"I can't remember the last time when we had temperatures 85 to 90, and flu was spreading like wildfire," Bradley said.
All eight flu deaths involved people over 50, and six of those who died had not been vaccinated, according to KPBS. That death toll is four times the number at this point in each of the past three years, County Public Health Officer Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan told KPBS.
The County News Center reported 58 flu hospitalizations countywide and a test positivity rate of 8.0%. The main circulating strain is H1N1, and Thihalolipavan said the current vaccine is expected to be a strong match against it.
A forecasting tool developed with UC San Diego's Resilient Shield program projects hospitalizations will climb over the next two weeks, KPBS reported. Thihalolipavan said the situation is expected to get worse before it improves.
Bradley said children are especially vulnerable because they have less immunity to influenza than adults. The flu can cause serious complications including brain infections and respiratory problems, according to CBS 8.
Dr. Alice Pong, also a medical director of infectious diseases at Rady Children's, said parents should seek emergency care if a child has trouble breathing, neurological symptoms or difficulty walking. Children with milder symptoms such as a low-grade fever and cough can recover at home, but Pong said parents should call their doctor if a child has trouble eating and drinking.
Both doctors urge families not to wait. The county recommends flu vaccination for everyone six months and older. Shots are available through health care providers, pharmacies and county public health centers.
