Iowa's flu season could have been worse
April 05, 2011 05:02 EDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa health officials say the waning flu season could have been much worse because of three influenza strains, but this season's vaccines was a good match for all three.

State medical director Dr. Patricia Quinlisk told The Gazette in Cedar Rapids that Iowa's flu activity dropped from widespread to regional for the week ending March 25, the most recent update.

Quinlisk says some schools are still reporting greater than 10 percent absenteeism, but warmer weather should soon signal the end of flu season.

Quinlisk was concerned about having three different strains of flu -- influenza A, swine flu or H1N1 and influenza B -- circulating at once. That means a person could come down with the flu three times in one season.