He also said the city will move to narrow Washington and Jefferson boulevards downtown.This year’s flu season is officially over in Indiana, state health officials declared Friday.
The flu bug has taken 43 lives in Indiana since June – 39 of those deaths were because of complications related to the H1N1 strain of the virus.
The dramatic increase in H1N1 flu cases last fall eventually spurred 21 percent of Hoosiers to get vaccinated against the strain, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
The state released season-end figures Friday, recapping the spread and effect of the virus.
During the height of the virus’ spread last fall, the state tested specimens for the H1N1 virus. Since September, 98 percent of the nearly 1,000 specimens tested positive for the virus, according to the state.
And 84 percent of those samples came from children and young adults. Children, teens and college-aged adults were the largest group sickened by the virus, unlike the seasonal flu that tends to affect the elderly in far greater numbers.
Only a third of children 9 and younger received their second dose of vaccine. Children need two doses to be protected against the virus.
Almost 30 percent of people considered at high risk of becoming sick from the flu were vaccinated. That group included public-safety workers, health workers, child caretakers, pregnant women and adults with chronic health conditions.
The most recent fatal flu case occurred in the past week. The person had underlying medical conditions, according to the state’s flu report, and the strain of flu has not been determined. Since June, three other people have died from various flu strains.
Although flu season has ended for the year, State Health Commissioner Dr. Gregory Larkin urged Hoosiers to get vaccinated. The H1N1 flu hasn’t caused a third-wave illness yet, but the virus could rebound.
Flu vaccine that will be available this fall will protect residents against both the seasonal and H1N1 virus, state health officials said.
“We don’t know what to expect in the upcoming months, so I still urge people to get the H1N1 flu vaccine, especially if you have a chronic medical condition,” he said.
