Flu season is around the corner and infectious disease experts are encouraging people to get their flu shots early.
Flu shots begin to arrive at doctors' offices in September. The flu season typically begins in October and peaks in December through February.
Dr. Amy Duckro, infectious disease expert at Kaiser Permanente said there is still a lot of unknowns about how this flu season will pan out. However, with other respiratory infections — such as COVID and respiratory syncytial virus — looming, it is a good idea to reduce one’s risk of catching the flu.
Duckro suggests getting the flu shot as early in the season as possible as it will take at least two weeks before a person’s body will build up antibodies to protect against the virus.
“The earlier you get you get protection the better from whenever flu activity starts to hit,” Duckro said.
Getting the flu shot later can still be beneficial, Kaiser’s website states.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, getting the flu vaccine can reduce the risk of getting the flu by 40-70%.
Over the years, myths have arisen about the flu shot. One of which includes that people get the flu from the flu shot. Duckro said the shot does not include a live virus so it is impossible to get the flu from the shot. She did say that sometimes people will get sick at the same time they get the shot from another illness but the two are not related.
Each year infectious disease experts monitor the flu season in the southern hemisphere and try to predict how the flu will play out in the northern hemisphere. Based on this information, they create a flu vaccine that they hope is very effective. However, in some years the shot is not as effective as scientists hope.
“We see varying efficacy year-to-year,” Duckro said.
In addition to getting the flu vaccine there are several things people can do to try to avoid getting sick. Duckro suggests washing your hands regularly, staying home when you are sick and avoiding others when they are sick.
Those who have concerns about the flu or other vaccines should consult with their doctors prior to getting them.
