Health officials are issuing a warning for Muncie residents:Watch out for the flu.
"The flu season may be hitting the city of Muncie earlier andwith more brutality than in years past - and a vaccine may beharder to get," Shirley Divens of Ball Memorial Hospital said."Everyone should get (a flu shot), but unfortunately not everyonewill be able to."
The outbreak is not limited to Muncie. Flu outbreaks havealready hit many states out west, such as Texas and Colorado,months before the flu season usually comes into full swing andvaccination supplies are fully stocked.
According to the National Center for Infectious Diseases, thepercentage of specimens testing positive for influenza increasedfrom 7.9 percent during the week of Nov. 1 to 19.2 percent for theweek of Nov. 8.
A statement on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention'sWeb site notes that this is the earliest week that specimenstesting positive for influenza have exceeded 10 percentnationally.
Shawn Richards, an epidemiologist for the Indiana Department ofHealth, said she is expecting new results within the next twodays.
Many of the cases that have been dealt with in these statesincluded a strain of influenza which is not targeted by thestandard flu vaccine.
The change in the flu strain is called a "drift," which hascommonly occurred in the past, but is still making those in thehealth field more than a little nervous.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC, advises students toget a flu shot early, before it hits their particular town.
She went on to say that the vaccine will still provide a crossprotection from the "drift" and should still help most people.
"In the big scene, Indiana has been getting hit harder andfaster than usual," Anne Monroe of the Delaware County HealthDepartment said. "But, I wouldn't be too worried about it at thispoint in time."
However, Dr. Kent Bullis, director of the Health Center, isworried about the situation.
"It's true that there haven't been as many official reports yetsaying that Indiana's situation is any worse than others, but Ihave a gut-level feeling that in the next two weeks we'll be hitharder than we're prepared to handle."
He has been seeing an unusual amount of illnesses which appearto be flu related within the last week, he said.
"We've been sending samples to the State Board of Health andlung specialists in New Orleans to get a better idea of whatexactly we're dealing with, but we haven't heard back yet," hesaid.
"Either way, it's not too late to get a flu shot -- if you avoidit (the flu) you won't lose a week out of your life in bed."
But getting the flu shot may not be that easy.
"The Ball State Memorial Hospital only gives out flu shots toits employees and volunteers," Michael Langona, Ball Memorial'sEpidemic Director, said.
For $20 The Ball State Health Center will issue students a flushot for as long as supplies last.
But that leaves the rest of Muncie residents searching.
"This is where we step in," Bob Jones of the Nursing Division ofthe Delaware County Health Department said.
Jones said starting Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4p.m. and every week through flu season, flu shots will beadministered to people 18 years old and older. They will beadministered in the City County Building, room 313, for a $5donation.
Jones encouraged all those in the area of Muncie, especiallythose close or in the vicinity of Ball State, to be vaccinated asquickly as possible while supplies are still available.
"It's increasingly important to destroy the virus in publicinstitutions like Ball State, where things spread at a much morerapid pace," he said.
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