Okla. State Health Officials Warn Of Vape-Sickness

In the face of widespread concern and a half dozen deaths nationwide, Oklahoma has been attempting to alert health care providers for weeks about the potential dangers of vaping.

According to the State Department of Health, guidance went out to doctors a few weeks ago telling them to be on the look-out for symptoms related to vaping-illness.

In cases from six other states, the symptoms look a lot like the flu, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, fever and nausea. Oklahoma doctors are being asked to report any unexplained respiratory illnesses that may be linked to vaping.

Last year, a study from New York University showed Oklahomans vaped more than anyone else in the country but so far there are no reports of vape-sickness in the state. 

Oklahoma is in the process of creating an online vaping-illness tracker, similar to their flu tracker.

It's expected to be up and running soon according to OSDH officials.

This is all in the wake of an emergency warning from the CDC urging vape users to stop immediately after the 7th reported death from vaping-sickness across the country.

The department of health is also working out a set of guidelines for medical marijuana dispensaries where a large portion of the business comes from THC or CBD vape liquid. So far there has not been a call to remove those products or nicotine based vape products from the shelves.