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<br /> 35 <br /> <br />Influenza (flu) and pneumonia <br />The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. Adults age 65+ are at a greater risk of <br />pneumonia and flu than the rest of the population, as are those with chronic lung disease, heart disease, <br />and compromised immune systems. Health care workers and residents of nursing homes and long-term <br />care facilities are also at greater risk. Seasonal flu vaccines change annually as the virus naturally <br />changes over time. Flu season runs from September to March, with the number of cases peaking in <br />January or February. <br /> <br /> There were 218 flu deaths reported in NC during the 2014-2015 flu season, with 0 deaths reported <br />among Orange County residents. <br /> <br />Vaccine Preventable Diseases <br />Vaccine-preventable diseases are diseases that can usually be prevented by obtaining required or <br />recommended vaccinations prior to exposure to the illness. Vaccinations are widely recognized as one <br />of the most important public health strategies ever employed. New immigrants are seen to be at <br />greater risks of vaccine-preventable diseases, specifically if they have not received vaccinations in their <br />home countries. <br /> <br />Children who have not been appropriately vaccinated are at risk of serious diseases. Vaccines required <br />by North Carolina Immunization Law for daycare and school entry provide protection against the 10 <br />diseases of: <br /> Diphtheria <br /> Tetanus <br /> Pertussis (whooping cough) <br /> Polio <br /> Measles, mumps, rubella <br /> Haemophilus <br /> Influenza <br /> Type B (Hib) <br /> Hepatitis B, and <br /> Varicella (chicken pox) <br /> <br />Sexually Transmitted Diseases <br />Sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) falls strangely on <br />disadvantaged populations, young people, and minorities and affects tens of thousands of North <br />Carolinians every year. These preventable conditions can lead to reduced quality of life as well as <br />premature death and disability. Table 9 shows the (preliminary) cases of STD’s among Orange County <br />residents over the past 3 years. <br /> <br />Table 9: Sexually Transmitted Disease Cases among Orange County residents by year 2013-201554 <br /> 2013 2014 2015 <br />Gonorrhea cases 114 112 183 <br />Chlamydia cases 470 472 684 <br />Syphilis cases 3 17 13 <br />Newly reported HIV infections among <br />OC residents <br />16 14 12 <br />Newly reported AIDS cases among OC <br />residents <br />8 10 8 <br />*The above numbers are preliminary and were obtained from the 2015 fourth quarter report, annual numbers were not available. <br /> <br />