Even though we might be seeing warmer temperatures this week in Iowa, it’s still flu season and health officials continue to remind people to be on the lookout for the virus.

According to Iowa health officials, 22 people have died from flu-related illness since this past October. Greene County Public Health Immunization Manager Jill Hanson says symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache, fatigue or tiredness. She points out the flu vaccination remains the best defense against the virus. She explains how the flu vaccine is determined every year.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) determines what the flu viruses are that are more likely to spread that year and cause illness. They do this by evaluating surveillance data for more than 100 national flu centers across the world. And then the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) looks at the results and determines which viruses to target with the flu vaccine in the United States.”   

Flu shots are available at pharmacies, health clinics, hospitals and primary care providers