Shutdown Leaves CDC Handcuffed as Flu Season Gets Underway

Flu season has arrived right on cue this year, with some of the first hospitalizations taking place across the nation. Unlike in years past, however, state and county reports on the illness will not be analyzed or published online by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until the government shutdown ends.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake County's first flu hospitalization is a child reportedly under the age of 18.

"We've seen hospitalizations as early as the first week of October before," Salt Lake County Health Department spokesman Nicholas Rupp told the Tribune.

And while Rupp notes that the shutdown won't affect immunization programs (the vaccines have already been purchased), the current political stalemate is impeding the CDC's ability to evaluate just how well this year's vaccines match up to current flu strains.

Regardless, health officials remain enthusiastic in encouraging individuals to be vaccinated.

"Last year's influenza season was a reminder of just how serious the flu can be," Jon Belsher, the chief medical officer of Texas' MedSpring Urgent Care, told Vaccine News Daily. "The flu virus is extremely contagious, so if one person catches it, there's a good chance others at his or her home, work or school will be infected as well. Vaccination significantly reduces an individual's risk of contracting the flu."

A memo issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services warned that in the absence of funding, the CDC would be "unable to support the annual seasonal influenza program, outbreak detection and linking across state boundaries using genetic and molecular analysis, continuous updating of disease treatment and prevention recommendations -- e.g., HIV, tuberculous, sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis -- and technical assistance, analysis and support to state and local partners for infectious disease surveillance."

Meanwhile, private entities such as Google Flu Trends and Flu Near You are working to map cases of the disease throughout the country.