❌

Normal view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.
Today β€” 23 December 2024Main stream

Flu surges in Louisiana as health department barred from promoting flu shots

By: Beth Mole
23 December 2024 at 09:35

Flu season is ramping up across the US, but Louisianaβ€”the state that has reportedly barred its health department from promoting flu shots, as well as COVID-19 and mpox vaccinesβ€”is leading the country with an early and strong surge.

Louisiana's flu activity has reached the "Very High" category set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the latest data. The 13-category scale is based on the percentage of doctor's visits that were for influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) in the previous week. Louisiana is at the first of three "Very High" levels. Oregon is the only other state to have reached this level. The rest of the country spans the scale, with 13 jurisdictions at "High," including New York City and Washington, DC. There are 11 at "Moderate," 10 at "Low," and 19 at "Minimal."

Map of ILI activity by state Credit: CDC

Last week, NPR, KFF Health News, and New Orleans Public Radio WWNO reported that the state had forbidden the health department and its workers from promoting annual flu shots, as well as vaccines for COVID-19 and mpox. The policy was explicitly kept quiet and officials have avoided putting it in writing.

Read full article

Comments

Β© Getty | Noam Galai

❌
❌