Flu Season Arrives in North Texas

It's not too late to get a flu shot which covers all the strains of flu

Don't be fooled by the warm weather.

The seasons of the year may already be changing, but the flu season is just now getting here.

Doctors at both Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth and Children's Medical Center in Dallas report seeing the first signs of a late-blooming flu season.

"I think some of us were wondering whether it was going to show up and we're expected that it would 'cause it always does and now it has," said Dr. Donald Murphey, with the Infectious Disease Clinic at Cook Children's Medical Center.

But no one can be sure why it's so late.

"It may be because we're more careful about cough, cover your cough and wash your hands, gel your hands," said Murphey.

Flu season normally arrives in December, then peaks before March. The late start means the worst of it still lies ahead.

"You would expect that we will see more and more flu over the next month and then it would taper down over another month after that," said Murphey.

There's still time to get a flu shot and other medications can also help.

"If they get treated early with antivirals it may help them get better quicker," said Murphey.

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