Feeling a bit under the weather? Flu season in the Lowcountry is off to a quick start

If you feel like the flu bug is already spreading around the Lowcountry, you’re not imagining things.

Flu season is officially underway, and reports are pouring in from across the Palmetto State.

During the last recorded week — Sept. 17- Sept. 23 — 71 influenza cases were reported from 16 South Carolina counties, including Beaufort County. The Lowcountry region accounted for 26 cases, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

During the same week last season, 51 influenza cases were reported across the state, including 16 in the Lowcountry, according to DHEC.

The Center for Disease Control advises the public to, first and foremost, get an annual flu vaccination.

CDC also recommends taking everyday preventive actions such as staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes and frequent handwashing to help slow the spread of germs that cause the flu.

Hilton Head Hospital will hold seasonal flu shot clinics from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday at Hilton Head Hospital, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Bluffton Medical Campus, 75 Baylor Drive. The shots are free for individuals with Medicare and $35 for patients who do not have Medicare. To make an appointment for a flu shot, call 844-455-0340.

Flu shots will also be available at DHEC clinics, including the Beaufort County Health Department at 601 Wilmington St. in Beaufort and the Bluffton Health Clinic at 4819 Bluffton Parkway, beginning Oct. 16.

Clinic availability will vary by site. Clients are encouraged to make an appointment using the DHEC Careline at 1-800-868-0404.

This story was originally published October 4, 2017 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Feeling a bit under the weather? Flu season in the Lowcountry is off to a quick start."