Flu hospitalizations on upswing

After weeks of steady decline, Georgia and the nation saw an increase in pandemic influenza A H1N1 activity in recent reports, officials said.

After declining to three hospitalizations for the week ending Dec. 22, the number of hospitalizations from the new virus jumped to 14 and then 26 for the week that ended Tuesday. South Carolina reported 21 hospitalizations, up one from the previous week. Neither state saw any deaths from confirmed cases.

Nationally, there was a slight uptick in the number of people going to doctors and emergency rooms with influenzalike illness and also in the number of deaths due to influenza and pneumonia, said Anne Schuchat, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC.

Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.

WHERE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE

COLUMBIA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT is offering both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines at its Evans clinic, 616 Government Center Way, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Monday and next Friday. The H1N1 vaccine is free. The seasonal flu vaccine is $25, except with Medicaid, Medicare or the State Health Benefit Plan.

AIKEN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT is offering H1N1 walk-in clinics from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 16 and 18. The vaccine is available Wednesdays at the Aiken office from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the North Augusta Health Department.

WALMART will offer the H1N1 vaccine from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: today, 2035 Whiskey Road, Aiken; Saturday, 260 Bobby Jones Expressway, Augusta; Wednesday, 4469 Washington Road, Evans; Thursday, 2205 Harrison Road SE, Thomson; Jan. 15, 5010 Steiner Way, Grovetown; Jan. 16, 3209 Deans Bridge Road, Augusta. The fee would be $15 or the insurance co-pay, whichever is less.