This year’s reported district cases of the flu are more than triple what they were last year with the numbers increasing from 2 to 34. Director of School Health, Kimberly Kuklies said that the reasons for this can depend on many factors such as weather, number of people who get vaccinated, and vaccine effectiveness.

     “A lot of times the probability of someone getting the flu increases when the weather is cold,” LVN Rhonda Hamilton said. “Instead of kids playing outside in the summer, they are huddled in close proximity spreading germs.”

     Flu symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea.

     “Last year, I was throwing up, had a high fever, runny nose, and chills which was probably the worst part because it made it hard to move,” junior Garrett Edinger said. “I went to the doctor, and they gave me some medicine that is supposed to decrease my chances of getting it in the future along with stuff to lessen my symptoms. That really helped because instead of having it for three weeks it was only two.”

     A poll conducted by the National Public Radio found that out of 3,000 adults, 38% said they do not plan on getting the vaccine. The three most popular reasons for this were that they did not feel they needed one, there could be unwanted side-effects, and the shots cause the flu. Edinger said that he had not gotten the flu in years until last year when he did not get the flu shot, making him a firm believer in the effectiveness of the vaccine.

     “There is usually a direct correlation with people that are diagnosed with the flu having not been vaccinated with the flu vaccine,” Kuklies said. “You can still get the flu even if you are vaccinated.  It’s usually a milder form though.”

     According to the Centers for Disease Control, prevention methods include covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing, washing your hands after touching your face, not sharing food or drinks, and drinking lots of water. There are also medicines such as Tamiflu, which if taken right as symptoms start, will decrease the duration of the illness.   

     “To help avoid the spread of the flu there are methods you can use,” Hamilton said. “ By washing your hands and avoiding touching your face, you reduce the amount of germs that are spread through droplets from coughing and sneezing. It is also good to stay home if you’re running a fever so not to spread it to others.”