Morgan County Health Director Says Prolonged 2025-26 Flu Season Finally Easing

Dale Bainter had a blunt characterization for what Morgan County endured this winter: the 2025-26 influenza season "would not quit." The Morgan County Public Health Department director told WLDS on Sunday that after flu hit its peak roughly a month ago, case levels stalled at elevation rather than retreating, stretching active circulation well into late March and early April before indicators finally began trending downward.

That plateau, not a secondary surge, defined this season's unusual persistence. A typical flu season crests and then falls sharply. This year, the decline was gradual and slow, keeping the health department and local clinicians in an extended response posture. Bainter said he is only now beginning to see the season genuinely ease.

The prolonged run carries real consequences in a county where Jacksonville Memorial Hospital and area providers serve a wide rural radius. Extended flu circulation strains urgent care and inpatient capacity, complicates staffing at long-term care facilities, and increases the probability of co-circulation with other respiratory viruses. Those pressures can delay elective procedures and drive up hospital visits for respiratory illness well past the point where most residents assume the season is over.

Bainter cautioned that the calendar itself poses risks. Family gatherings tied to spring holidays and social events can generate small upticks in case counts even when overall activity is declining, and he urged residents to remain prudent through those occasions.

On the logistics of next season, the health department already moved. Vaccine orders for 2026-27 were placed in February, with decisions guided by flu trends observed in the eastern hemisphere and in western U.S. states. That early procurement is intended to ensure supply is in place when fall distribution begins. Bainter said the county's vaccination policy has not changed: decisions about immunizations belong to families and their health-care providers.

Until next season's shipments are confirmed and distribution ramps up, Bainter's near-term guidance is straightforward: stay home when sick, test when appropriate, and keep high-risk individuals current on recommended vaccines.