Influenza rates are 'very high' in Indiana. How to protect yourself
Indiana is seeing "very high" rates of influenza activity in emergency rooms and primary care offices across the state, as national cases of influenza hit a 15-year high.
Influenza rates in Indiana jumped from high to very high Tuesday, according to Indiana Department of Health data. Indiana's influenza uptick is in line with activity in other states as flu season hits its seasonal peak, said state epidemiologist Eric Hawkins.At the same time, other respiratory viruses — like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the common cold and coronavirus —are also circulating.
Most pharmacies have at-home tests available to test for the flu and coronavirus. However, other respiratory illnesses, such as RSV, require testing at a primary or urgent care office.
But this week has been one of the highest influenza peaks since the coronavirus pandemic.
Elderly patients and infants are among the most vulnerable patients. Indiana has recorded 57 influenza-related deaths this season as of Tuesday, with people over the age of 65 accounting for 41 of the deaths.
No Indiana infants under the age of four have died from influenza this year, according to IDOH.
In the past week, 13% of children under four years old visiting the emergency room presented signs of influenza, based on state data collected from 119 hospital emergency rooms and 23 urgent care centers.
"Right now, the important thing is it's respiratory season, so we have lots of things circulating, and the reason we have this information out there is to make people aware that there are things that they can do to prevent illness and respiratory illnesses," Hawkins said.
Influenza or flu typically presents with a high fever (over 100 degrees) accompanied by a cold or sore throat. Influenza spreads through person-to-person interactions, usually when a sick person coughs, sneezes or talks.
Vaccines can prevent severe infections and medical complications from the flu, said Dr. John Christenson, associate medical director of pediatric infection prevention at Riley Hospital for Children.
It's not too late for patients to receive the flu vaccine from a pharmacy or primary care provider, Christenson said. The vaccine takes up to 10 days to take effect.
"We hope that [parents] consider that influenza is still here and get this flu vaccine, so they can protect their family," Christenson said. "The vaccine is not a perfect vaccine. We've known that for decades. It may not prevent infection, but one thing we are pretty certain of is that the vaccine prevents death and hospitalizations."
Those who are elderly, immunocompromised or under the age of four can develop severe complications with influenza. If parents notice children having difficulty breathing or not taking enough food or fluids, they should seek additional medical care, Christenson said.
Even those vaccinated can still catch influenza. People can protect themselves and others with the "three C's," Hawkins said: cleaning hands and surfaces regularly; covering one's mouth when coughing; and containing the virus by staying home if ill.
"It does fluctuate and go up and down, but the take home message here with influenza always around is, what are the things you could do to prevent illness? And I think that's one thing that we can help with," Hawkins said.
Flu season runs from October to May, with peaks varying year to year. Doctors expect flu activity to start to decrease in March.
Flu rates reached unusual lows in the 2020-21 winter season due to widespread masking. However, in the last three years, flu rates in the colder months have ticked back up.
More: Flu has officially hit a second high in the US: Know the symptoms
The flu and COVID-19 have several symptoms in common. Here's how to tell the difference between the two viruses:
Alysa Guffey covers business and development for IndyStar. Have a story or tip? Contact her at amguffey@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Flu rates are 'very high' in Indiana. How to prevent catching irus
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About ENFLONSIA™ (clesrovimab-cfor) ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab-cfor) is Merck's extended half-life monoclonal antibody (mAb) indicated for passive immunization for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract disease in newborns and infants who are born during or entering their first RSV season. ENFLONSIA is administered using non-weight-based dosing and is designed to provide direct, rapid and durable protection through 5 months, a typical RSV season. For infants born during the RSV season, ENFLONSIA is to be administered starting from birth. For infants born outside of the RSV season, ENFLONSIA should be administered prior to the start of their first RSV season. For infants undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass during or entering their first RSV season, an additional 105 mg dose is recommended as soon as the infant is stable after surgery. Selected Safety Information for ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab-cfor) Do not administer ENFLONSIA to infants with a history of serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, to any component of ENFLONSIA. Serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been observed with other human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibodies. If signs or symptoms of a clinically significant hypersensitivity reaction or anaphylaxis occur, initiate appropriate medications and/or supportive therapy. The most common adverse reactions were injection-site erythema (3.8%), injection-site swelling (2.7%) and rash (2.3%). About Clinical Trials and Data Supporting U.S. FDA Approval The CLEVER trial (MK-1654-004) (NCT04767373) was a Phase 2b/3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ENFLONSIA in early and moderate preterm infants (≥29 to <35 weeks gestational age [GA]) and late preterm and full-term infants (≥35 weeks GA) entering their first RSV season. Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive a single 105 mg dose of ENFLONSIA (N=2,411) or saline placebo (N=1,203) by intramuscular (IM) injection. The primary endpoint was the incidence of participants with RSV-associated medically attended lower respiratory infection (MALRI) characterized as cough or difficulty breathing and requiring ≥1 indicator of LRI (wheezing, rales/crackles) or severity (chest wall in-drawing/retractions, hypoxemia, tachypnea, dehydration due to respiratory symptoms) from Day 1 through Day 150 (5 months) after dosing. Medically attended includes all health care provider visits in settings such as outpatient clinic, clinical study site, emergency department, urgent care center and/or hospital. The key secondary endpoint was RSV-associated hospitalization through Day 150 (5 months). The trial demonstrated that the safety profile of ENFLONSIA in infants entering their first RSV season was generally comparable to placebo. The most common adverse reactions were injection-site erythema occurring within 5 days post-dose (ENFLONSIA: 3.8%; placebo: 3.3%), injection-site swelling occurring within 5 days post-dose (ENFLONSIA: 2.7%; placebo: 2.6%) and rash occurring within 14 days post-dose (ENFLONSIA: 2.3%; placebo: 1.9%). Participants were monitored for serious adverse events (SAEs) through the duration of their participation for up to 365 days post-dose. Most (≥97%) of the adverse reactions were toxicity grade 1 (mild) or grade 2 (moderate). The SMART trial (MK-1654-007) (NCT04938830) was a Phase 3, randomized, partially-blind, palivizumab-controlled, multi-site trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ENFLONSIA in infants at increased risk of severe RSV disease, including early (<29 weeks GA) or moderate preterm infants (≥29 to ≤35 weeks GA) and infants with chronic lung disease of prematurity or congenital heart disease of any GA. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive ENFLONSIA (N=446) or palivizumab (N=450) by IM injection. Among infants at increased risk of severe RSV disease and entering their first RSV season, the trial demonstrated that the safety profile of ENFLONSIA was generally comparable to palivizumab and consistent with the safety profile of ENFLONSIA in infants in the CLEVER trial. The efficacy of ENFLONSIA in infants at increased risk for severe RSV disease was established by extrapolation of efficacy of ENFLONSIA from the CLEVER trial to the SMART trial based on similar pharmacokinetic exposure. The incidence rates of RSV-associated MALRI requiring ≥1 indicator of LRI or severity and RSV-associated hospitalization were generally comparable between ENFLONSIA (3.6%, 95% CI: 2.0, 6.0 and 1.3%, 95% CI: 0.4, 2.9, respectively) and palivizumab (2.9%, 95% CI: 1.5, 5.2 and 1.5%, 95% CI: 0.5, 3.2, respectively) through Day 150 (5 months). In clinical trials, when ENFLONSIA was given concomitantly with routine childhood vaccines, the safety profile of the co-administered regimen was generally comparable to the safety profile when ENFLONSIA and childhood vaccines were administered alone. About Merck At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site ( Please see Prescribing Information for ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab-cfor) at and Patient Information/Medication Guide for ENFLONSIA at View source version on Contacts Media Contacts:Julie Cunningham(617) 519-6264Brittany Redmer(215) 527-6922 Investor Contacts:Damini Chokshi(732) 594-1577Peter Dannenbaum(732) 594-1579
