With current flu levels classified as "high" around the state, public health officials in Texas are encouraging citizens to seek vaccination. While many officials anticipated the flu season to peak in January, it has seemingly arrived much earlier in many parts of the state.

Health officials are urging citizens to seek care with their primary doctors, instead of their local hospital emergency rooms. They also recommend that everyone over age six months receive a flu vaccination. Thus far in December, over 450 cases of influenza have been reported in just a small portion of central Texas. Four recent deaths are being blamed on a flu-like illness. Other citizens are also showing signs of the same unknown condition, health officials said.

A nurse for a Texas school system noted during a media interview, "The number one prevention for the flu and cold is hand washing, [from] little kids [up to] big kids." People suffering from the symptoms report fever, and coughing along with headaches and fatigue. One Texas man told Wikinews, "I had the flu just a few weeks ago. It was awful. I was miserable."


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Originally published by Wikinews on December 20, 2013. Original author: Wikinews.

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