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"One gets the flu and they all get the flu and I don't want to get sick," Malan said.



January and February tend to be peak flu season here in the Tri-Cities. Malan of Kingsport knows that all too well.



"I spend a lot of my time giving flu shots," she said.



The nurse and mother of six has seen more sick patients lately and she's not alone.



On Monday, Claiborne County Schools closed for the rest of the week, giving students time to recover from Influenza. 150 absences were reported at an elementary school on Monday and parents picked up sick children throughout the day.



Although that outbreak has not spread to the Tri-Cities, Sullivan County Health Department Regional Medical Director Dr. Stephen May says he is seeing more flu cases here now that flu season has officially arrived.



"It is within the community and it is circulating and if you've not got your flu shots, it's not too late," May said.



He says this latest spike in flu cases is consistent with this time of year. Still, if it gets worse, especially in area schools, he doesn't think cancelling class is the best answer. May says the health department would only close schools after talking with the state and hearing other expert advice. Sullivan County has considered the move before, but never followed through.



"The purpose is to decrease social contact, now if the kids are going to be going to the malls and shopping and visiting their friends, now you've defeated the purpose of closing the schools," May said.



For Johnson City Schools, shutting down is also a last resort, but it's not unheard of in the Tri-Cities region. In 2005, Hawkins County and Rogersville Schools cancelled school after hundreds of students caught the bug. Back in November, Yancey and Mitchell Counties in Western North Carolina did the same.



Kaynak: SağlıkHaber