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What's behind particularly widespread flu season?

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    Dr. Kevin Campbell weighs in

  • Duration 3:24
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Flu season starting early this winter with a strain that tends to make people more sick right now health officials are forecasting a very busy flu season overall 47 states reporting widespread activity.

The city of Boston declaring a public health emergency because of the flu.

Some schools in Oklahoma closing down today to try to stop the illness from spreading.

-- canceled classes after nearly 25%.

Of the students became sick.

Let's talk about -- doctor Kevin Campbell he's based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Doctor Campbell.

-- them the flu started earlier this season as I understand it is that why we're seeing such a bad such bad outbreak.

Absolutely they're really two reasons we see bad outbreaks -- is the early onset of the flu season.

And the second reason is that we have a particularly.

Very elect our severe strain of flu that we -- seeing this year as well but I heard the CDC saying that the vaccine that's out as a pretty good match for the strain that's out.

Fortunately it is a very good match for the strain that's out this year it just happens to be.

That the folks who are getting the flu shot that get this disease.

Can be quite severe and have some potentially life threatening complications there has been so much coverage of it I understand there are vaccine shortages in some places because people are running out to get the vaccine was probably a good thing but but what about where you -- So we do have some shortages of the vaccine.

But if you go to enough places they are available you may not be able to get away with one stop shopping but they are out there.

We have vaccinated.

Lots and lots of people we continue to encourage folks to get vaccinated now so it's not too late.

Absolutely not when she received the vaccine your immune system can work to develop antibodies to the virus.

As quickly as seven to ten days.

All right I know that well there there are twenty children who have actually been killed nationwide this year by the flu that seems like.

And unusually high number especially because kids generally -- that's the south to Florida.

Well what we know is there's two groups of people who -- very susceptible to add to complications of flu one as the elderly.

And to his children under the age of five and the reason for that is their immune systems are not quite as developed under the age five.

As an adults immune system and the elderly typically have trouble.

With the immune system not viewed as a responsive as it -- were.

I'm curious about one thing we are looking at the map earlier and maybe we can put it back up in here and in just a second but -- you out there there you have Mississippi.

California and Hawaii as the only states that are not reporting.

Major outbreaks why is that I mean why does one state get hit hard in the neighboring state not so much.

Sometimes that's difficult to predict this virus is transmitted person to person as we all -- And often some areas may not be reporting it as accurately as others folks may not be coming to the doctor may be treating this that -- It's difficult to predict I suspect that all states.

Are having cases maybe not at the same levels that we're seeing in Boston Chicago and some of the other metropolitan areas -- aren't sold wash their hands and get a flu shot that's that's your advice doctor Kevin Cameron.

Thanks for joining us today.

Thank you so much.

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