KENNEWICK, Wash. - The flu bug is starting to go around. The State Department of Health announced Thursday that three people in Washington have died from the flu this month.
Two of them were elderly people in King County. The third was a child from Pierce County. Locally, Public Health administrators said it's not been much of a problem yet but that doesn't mean the area is in the clear.
"Over the last week or so we are hearing reports that we are seeing more flu activity. Not as high as they have been seeing on the west side of the state. But I think we can officially say flu season has started here," said Dr. Amy Person.
Dr. Person said the best defense against the flu is to get vaccinated and there's no shortages of flu shots this year.
If you do have flu-like symptoms like body aches, high fever and fatigue, Dr. Person said you should stay home. You can also avoid spreading the illness by covering your cough and washing your hands often.
