Doctors and nurses throughout North Texas are preparing for another round of flu patients in emergency rooms and clinics.
From October 2017 through January 2018, more than 65,000 people were treated for the flu in Tarrant County hospitals and John Peter Smith Health Network Clinics. The ambulance service in Tarrant County, MedStar, receives an average of 19 emergency flu related calls every day, officials say.
Click on each state for more information.
Data: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Nina Lin/NBC
According to U.S. officials, the flu vaccine is still the best way to safeguard your immune system against influenza. From Dallas County to Denton County, families are flocking to health care facilities to get the flu shot.
In Denton County the demand for the flu vaccine has increased in the past month. According to the Denton County Public Health Department, officials have 2,000 vaccine doses in stock.
Left: Reported Flu Activity for the Week of Dec. 31, 2016 (Week 52); Right: Reported Flu Activity for the Week of Dec. 30, 2017 (Week 52)
Data: CDC
Collin County public health officials have 600 doses on hand.
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Officials from Collin County, Denton County, and Tarrant County all say parents should vaccinate their children, especially now that kids are back in school.
We are still two weeks away from the peak of the flu season. It takes two weeks for the flu vaccine to take effect in the body’s system.
