When Is Flu Season? When Do I Get a Flu Shot?
Fall marks the return of so many things we enjoy here in Middle Georgia: cooler temperatures, college football, and pumpkin-spice-flavored everything. Unfortunately, it also marks the return of something we’d rather avoid: the flu.
Every year, as many as 700,000 Americans are hospitalized due to a case of the flu, and up to 50,000 die as a result of the disease. While no vaccine is ever 100% effective, studies have shown repeatedly that receiving an annual flu vaccine can reduce infection rates and dramatically improve outcomes for vaccinated patients who suffer from a breakthrough infection.
Due to the changing nature of the flu and the fact that the strain of influenza that is most prominent differs from year to year, a flu vaccine should be an annual practice. The shot that you received last year is likely ineffective against this year’s strain, and this year’s shot will probably not prevent you from catching next year’s strain.
So when is the flu at its worst? When should you get your annual flu shot? In this article, we’ll take a look at the timing of flu season and the best times to get your annual vaccination.
When Is Flu Season?
Influenza, commonly known as “the flu,” is caused by any one of four different types of virus:
- Influenza A Virus (IAV) – Infects aquatic birds and mammals including humans and pigs
- Influenza B Virus (IBV) – Primarily infects humans
- Influenza C Virus (ICV) – Primarily infects humans
- Influenza D Virus (IDV) – Infects cattle and pigs
Of the four, the two most dangerous are IAV and IBV, which cause seasonal epidemics. ICV typically causes a very mild infection and is normally only seen in children, while IDV seldom infects humans and does not cause illness on the rare occasions a human does contract it.
In the United States, the flu is typically at its worst during flu season, the eight months from early October to late May. Lasting two-thirds of each year, flu season is the time when most infections occur, with the peak usually happening sometime during February.
While it’s not known why influenza becomes more prevalent in the cooler months, there are a few theories:
- People stay indoors more and are more likely to pass the infection on to others who are sharing the space. The fact that flu numbers declined dramatically during COVID-19-imposed social distancing measures lends considerable credence to this theory.
- Colder, drier winter air dries out the mucous membranes in the respiratory system, reducing the effectiveness of the body’s defense mechanisms.
- Viruses are better preserved in colder air and can remain active for longer on commonly touched surfaces.
- Schools are in session during flu season, bringing infected children into contact with other children who then carry the virus home to their families.
- With less time in the sunny outdoors, people’s bodies produce less vitamin D, negatively affecting the immune system.
Regardless of the reason, flu season, and particularly the height of flu season in the year’s first three months, is the most dangerous time for unvaccinated individuals.
When Should I Get a Flu Shot?
The easy answer to this question is “as soon as possible,” but that answer may be an oversimplification. Unlike many vaccines that work for years, decades, or even for life, the efficacy of the flu vaccine often starts to decline just a couple of months after the shot.
The annual vaccine has usually been updated by early-to-mid summer, and shots are often found in doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and other healthcare facilities by July or August. Just because the shot is available, though, doesn’t necessarily mean you should get it right away.
Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes detailed information about the forecast for the upcoming flu season, and included in that information are tips for when to best get your shot. As a general rule, though, most adults should wait until late September or October to get their shot, and if a particularly late season is forecast, possibly wait until November.
Waiting a few months to get your shot helps ensure that your body’s immune system is at its most protected when the flu’s annual spike hits in January, February, or March.
The one exception to this rule is children between 6 months and 8 years of age. Many of these young folks need two doses of the shot for maximum effectiveness, and since the second has to be administered four weeks after the first, the first shot should be given as soon as possible.
Give the Shot a Helping Hand
In addition to getting your annual flu vaccine, there are a number of easy daily routines that can help keep you safe from the flu:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Even if they assure you that it’s “just allergies,” they could be in the early stages of a flu infection and not know it.
- Stay home when you’re sick. To the greatest extent possible, don’t leave home for work, school, or errands when you have flu-like symptoms.
- Cover your mouth and nose. Covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough can help prevent the spread of flu. If you absolutely must go out at the height of your sickness, consider wearing a mask.
- Wash your hands. Remember the “Happy Birthday” trick that we all learned in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic? That works for the flu, as well!
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. During the height of flu season, you’ve almost certainly come into contact with flu viruses throughout the day – don’t give them a shortcut into your respiratory system.
- Stay generally healthy. Your immune system’s health relies on your overall health. Get plenty of rest, be physically active, reduce stress as much as possible, and eat a healthy diet.
Angus Lake Healthcare is your local pharmacy consultant, serving facilities and their residents across Central Georgia.
Flu season starts soon. Angus Lake can hold vaccine clinics at your facility to protect your patients against the flu and other dangerous diseases. Schedule a consultation today to learn more: 478-233-1828.
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