Minn. confirms first 2 flu cases of season

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota has confirmed its first two influenza cases for the 2012-13 season.

The Minnesota Department of Health says its lab confirmed flu infections in a 25-year-old Olmsted County woman and a 12-year old Hennepin County child. Neither patient was hospitalized.

The department's official monitoring for the season began Oct. 1. The flu season in Minnesota typically runs from October through April, and peaks in February, but the department says cases can occur sporadically throughout the year, including summer.

Kris Ehresmann, the department's infectious disease director, says these first cases show that the seasonal flu is beginning to circulate in the community.

Health officials recommend annual influenza vaccinations for everyone six months and older unless they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

Ehresmann says ample vaccine is available this year.