(WXYZ) — The number of flu cases in Michigan is reported to be on the rise along with other respiratory illnesses like COVID and RSV.
Last week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports there were over 3,200 patient visits due to influenza-like illnesses.
And the flu vaccination rate as of December 2 is at 60 percent for this flu season as doctors are urging Michiganders to get vaccinated.
Corewell Health last week put in visitor restrictions in pediatric units for three of its metro Detroit hospitals in Troy, Dearborn, and Royal Oak because of the rise in respiratory-like illnesses.
Urgent cares and hospitals report seeing a rise in visits every day with more people who are sick.
Doctors are seeing low vaccination rates in both children and adults, and flu season has not peaked and will not until February.
"We're in the season where there's going to be gatherings. There's going to be family gatherings, workplace gatherings, and gatherings in our communities," said Christopher Parker, CDC Associate Director for Field Services National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Parker says nearly 2 million Americans have already had the flu this season, thousands have been hospitalized and there have been over a thousand deaths.
Parker and doctors are asking people to get the flu vaccine to help decrease the symptoms of the flu and hospital visits.
"Last year there was a 50 percent reduction in persons who got the flu who took the vaccine and also for those persons who did receive the vaccination but did get the flu, there was a 50 percent reduction in hospitalizations," said Parker.
The vaccination rates are also low in communities of color.
"We know that in certain racial and ethnic communities they experience high rates in hospitalizations as compared to their white counterparts and we believe it's important and believe that's due to social determinants of health," he said.
And as always consult with you health care provider if you have any questions about vaccinations.
