Flu taking toll on region, state

Don't be fooled by warmer temperatures and sunshine, this flu season is still under way.

There have been six flu-related deaths this past week in Indiana, according to a weekly flu report released by the state's health department, bringing the state's total to 16 deaths for the 2010-11 flu season. All those who died this past week were older than 55.

"Unfortunately, we do have flu-related deaths every year. This is a sad reminder influenza can be very serious and even deadly," State Health Commissioner Gregory Larkin, said in a statement. "Flu season is definitely not over, and it is not too late to get the seasonal flu vaccine."

V.J. Damasius, a pharmacist with Vyto's Pharmacy in Hammond, agrees. Flu shots are good for only one season, and a pharmacy is required to make an educated guess as to how many shots it will use, Damasius said. Because most people who get flu shots receive one at the beginning of the season, Damasius said the pharmacy has about 200 shots that would be discarded this season if they aren't used.

He and his brother, also a pharmacist with Vyto's Pharmacy, decided to offer to distribute the shots at a local homeless shelter and soup kitchen. Free shots are planned some time next week at the soup kitchen at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hammond and beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the homeless shelter affiliated with the First Baptist Church of Hammond.

"I'm pretty happy they're going to get used. Otherwise, they'd get tossed," Damasius said.

He said February is known as the peak of the flu season, but people get the flu year-round. For this flu season, a shot will last through as late as July.

At The Community Hospital in Munster, spokeswoman Marie Forszt said it may feel like flu season is wrapping up, but the hospital's emergency room is busier than it was a few weeks ago. She said that's normal for this time of year. She said the hospital is using the old emergency room space to help with flu patients when the new emergency wing is at capacity, similar to how the hospital functioned last year when it was dealing with H1N1 cases.

"The best defense against influenza is to get vaccinated, and everyone over 6 months of age should get the flu vaccine each year," Larkin said.