The Time to Get a Flu Shot is Now, CDC Says
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Now is the perfect time to get a flu shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
In a “Flu View” report released Friday, the CDC found that flu activity is low making it the best time to get vaccinated.
“We know from our first report for this season that influenza activity in the United States is low now, with few people going to the doctor for flu-like symptoms and few respiratory viruses testing positive for flu,” said Dr. Joe Bresee, Chief of CDC’s Influenza Epidemiology and Prevention Branch. “Though we can’t predict the exact timing, we expect increases in influenza illness, hospitalizations and deaths in the next few weeks.”
“It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body’s immune response to fully kick in,” he said. “It’s best to get vaccinated before activity begins so that you’ll be protected once flu season starts in your community.”
According to the report more than 110 million doses of vaccine was delivered throughout the United States in September in preparation for flu season. This year’s vaccine is expected to protect against the strains of the virus currently in circulation.
The CDC recommends annual flu shots for those 6 months and older. Nasal spray vaccines are also available for those ages 2 to 49 at local pharmacies and many major retail chain pharmacies.
The agency does not track exactly how many people die from seasonal flu each year but estimate 3,000 to 49,000 died of flu-associated illnesses each year.