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Flu At Peak

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Tuolumne County, CA — Tuolumne County Health Officials are warning the public that the flu season has just hit its peak.

Already in California, health officials say 45 people have died this flu season, including two babies. The California Department of Public Health said Friday that it is investigating an additional 50 deaths.

In Tuolumne County, there have been five confirmed cases of influenza A. That strain has been identified as the H1N1 flu, which was responsible for the 2009 influenza pandemic.

Tuolumne County Public Health Officer Dr. Todd Stolp says, “The important message is that we are right now in the thick of the influenza season and so now is the time to take all the necessary precautions with a little more deliberation.”

Those precautions include washing your hands often and sneezing into your elbow, not your hand where you could pass on the germs to others.  Also, there is still plenty of vaccine available for you to get a flu shot. The Tuolumne County Health Department is giving shots on Tuesday afternoons as long as vaccine lasts. Calaveras Public Health Services offers flu shots on Monday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Thursday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The state only tracks flu-related deaths among people 65 and younger. Click here for an earlier story outlining those at high flu risk.

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