Experts recommend seasonal flu vaccines, other precautions during colder months

We are firmly in flu season, and concern about diseases has risen following a Springboro student’s diagnosis with whooping cough.

>>Whooping Cough reported at Springboro High; Parents asked to monitor children

This morning, News Center 7’s Gabrielle Enright was in Greene County to talk about the diseases that health officials are seeing this year, and how you can prevent them.

Health officials said that they were seeing cases of whooping cough, the flu, stomach viruses, strep throat, and other viral illnesses.

After a Springboro High School student was diagnosed with whooping cough, school leaders sent a letter to parents saying that there was only one case, and urging parents to keep a close eye on their children if they are not feeling well.

Meanwhile in Indiana, health officials have reported the state’s first flu-related death of the season in the Indianapolis area.

>>Police, Springboro man's mom asking public for help in tracking down his killer

As the weather continues to get colder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone 6 months of age or older get a seasonal flu shot, with experts saying this is especially important for people at high risk of complications like people 65 or older, people with chronic medical conditions, or children younger than 5 years old.

Enright spoke to to Amy Schmitt, staff registered nurse with the Greene County Public Health Department, who said that the flu vaccine has four different strains of flu in them, chosen because officials believed that they would be the most prevalent strains this year.

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