By Josh James

flu

Kentucky Dept. For Public Health

The eleventh hour increase in flu cases continues, according to Lexington health officials.

The city confirmed 43 new flu cases this last week — making for a total of 126 in the past month. But those are just lab confirmed. Kevin Hall with the Fayette Health Department says that those numbers are a microcosm of what’s going on in the community.

“This is continuing to go up,” Hall said Monday. “It’s not too late to get a flu shot. We’ve had people ask if it’s too late to get one—no. People ask us if I got one in October do I need to get one now—no, you’re still protected. But if you’ve not received your flu shot, we are seeing a very late flu season. Go ahead and take some steps to get protected.”

Flu shots remain available by same-day appointment every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the Public Health Clinic on Newtown Pike.

Flu cases usually peak in Kentucky in late January or early February.

The upswing mirrors late increases across the country. Yet, even with the uptick, an analysis of 7 years of CDC data shows this year’s flu season is still below pre-pandemic levels.