Alabama public health officials say flu season is late. And while reported cases have been few and far between up to now, in the coming weeks, an outbreak could send sufferers to the doctor or even the hospital. And to those most vulnerable to the virus, it could be deadly. An average of 12-hundred Alabamians die a year from the flu and pneumonia. While there’s been a shortage of vaccine in the United States in the last six months, Alabama health officials say there are still tens of thousands of shots
left. Registered nurse Betsy Frazer of the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation specializes in influenza and pneumonia care for the elderly. She says it’s important for her patients to know the difference between having a simple cold and having the flu.
