Flu Season Peak: Have Symptoms? Go to Urgent Care, Not ER; Where To Get Your Flu Shot

You may have heard about the current flu outbreak. Well, things don't seem to be getting any better as the week continues.

Local emergency rooms are currently experiencing heavy volumes of patients and long wait times due to the increase causes of influenza.

Many local hospitals - Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines (Central, West Lakes and Franklin campuses), Iowa Health – Des Moines hospitals (Methodist, Lutheran, Blank Children’s and Methodist West) and Broadlawns Medical Center- are asking community members to refrain from visiting emergency rooms for non-emergency care.

Residents experiencing non-life threatening illnesses and can not get into see their primary doctor are encouraged to seek treatment from a local urgent care or walk-in clinic.

Find the closest to you here:

• Iowa Health
• Broadlawns
• Mercy Des Moines

Mercy Medical - Des Moines and Iowa Health-Des Moines facilities have also instituted limitations. These include:

• No more than two visitors at a time.
• Visitors need to be 18 years of age and older.
• Exceptions may be made for cases involving critically-ill patients or end-of-life situations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the flu is now widespread and the number of cases are continuing to increase.

How to prevent spreading the flu

In fact, specialists with the CDC say reports of the flu are reaching peak levels.

“Reports of influenza-like-illness (ILI) are nearing what have been peak levels during moderately severe seasons,” according to Dr. Joe Bresee.

Breese advises it is not too late to get a flu shot.

“Anyone who has not already been vaccinated should do so now,” Bresee said in a released statement. “And it’s important to remember that people who have severe influenza illness, or who are at high risk of serious influenza-related complications, should get treated with influenza antiviral medications if they get flu symptoms regardless of whether or not they got vaccinated. Also, you don’t need to wait for a positive laboratory test to start taking antivirals.”

Influenza -- more commonly known as simply "the flu" -- is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses infecting the nose, throat and lungs. It spreads via infected people coughing, sneezing or talking, though people can also get infected by touching something with the flu virus on it before touching their mouth, eyes or nose.

The primary type of flu causing illness this season is influenza A (H3N2), which so far has accounted for about 76 percent of cases. Of the types of viruses in circulation, 91 percent are a match for those included in the 2012-2013 vaccine.

“While influenza vaccination offers the best protection we have against influenza, it's still possible that some people may become ill despite being vaccinated,” says Bresee. “Health care providers and the public should remember that influenza antiviral medications are a second line of defense against influenza.”

In early December, the CDC warned this year's flu season could be one of the worst and recommended that everyone 6 months and up get an annual flu vaccine. 

You can find flu shot locations using the widget above. Or you can inquire at some of the locations mentioned in this article: Where To Get a Flu Shot in Urbandale.