Flu season appears to be taking hold in Oregon.
Electron micrograph showing H1N1 influenza virus particles.
NIAID / Flickr
The number of outbreaks around Portland climbed from four a couple of weeks ago to 13 last week.
Tri-County health officer doctor Paul Lewis said hospitalizations are increasing.
“The ER docs are reporting that a lot of people [are] coming in quite ill, so we certainly want people, especially those who are seniors or young kids to not hesitate to get in touch with their provider if they start to feel sick," Dr. Lewis said.
Doctors say it’s not too late to get a flu vaccine. There are different types of flu and some viruses strike later in the season.
The CDC believes the vaccine is a good match for the particular virus strain this year, but that won’t be clear until the spring when numbers are crunched.
If you're sick, doctors recommend you stay home and wash your hands often. If you’ve got a serious medical condition, contact your doctor.
The CDC says that between 3,000 and 49,000 people die each year from the flu in the U.S., depending on the severity of the virus.