EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
Flu season got a late start this year and officials think our record warm winter might have something to do with it.
It feels pretty nice outside for February because people are out walking and running. But this nice weather could have something to do with a late start to flu season.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is one of the latest starts to the flu season in close to 30 years.
When there's no school and plenty of sunshine, that's the perfect recipe for a day at the park.
"The kids get crazy, so on days like this, we get out as much as we can," said mother Lisa Reising.
"We just haven't had the climate that contributes to the flu outbreak," said Christina Gehring, Family Nurse Practitioner at the St. Mary's West Side Connection.
She says the past few years, they'd be seeing a case or two of the flu each day, but this winter things are different.
"I'm not seeing any of the flu so far that has come in," said Gehring.
Gehring says the warmer temperatures may be getting more people outside, like the Reisings, meaning they're not cooped up together as much.
"They're not all congregating in warm climates," said Gehring. "It just takes one person to bring that flu virus into an area, and then there can be a large spread."
In addition to the help from Mother Nature, Gehring thinks there may be another factor in the lack of flu she's seen, which is people being more aware of the importance of flu shots.
"We do get flu vaccines every year," said Reising.
Other than a few sniffles here and there, Reising says those vaccines and proper hand washing seem to be working just fine for her family.
"You just don't want to get too exposed, so we try to be careful as it is," notes Reising.
With flu being so unpredictable, experts say it's still a good idea for everyone to get vaccinated.
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