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With flu season starting in October, it’s important to get a flu vaccination for protection while COVID-19 continues to spread. Your body typically takes up to two weeks to develop an immune response from a vaccine, so getting vaccinated in September is your safest bet to prevent the flu.
An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu. Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death.
A flu shot can save your life.
Every year, about 200,000 people are hospitalized because of the flu. The flu can cause some serious complications that sometimes require hospitalization, such as dehydration, worsening of chronic illnesses, bacterial pneumonia, ear infections and sinus infections.In fact, influenza can lead to death in serious cases.
The sooner you get the flu shot, the better.
Flu season usually starts sometime in October and can last until May, so it is important to get vaccinated early. September and October are the best months to get vaccinated.
The flu shot helps with herd immunity.
There’s a concept called herd immunity that refers to populations getting immunizations. If we all get immunizations, of course we can’t spread the virus elsewhere, so we’re all protected from it.
Additional Ways to Prevent the Flu
Flu cases have been declining over the past two years, most likely because of the widespread use of face masks and frequent handwashing. Please consider wearing a face mask indoors and frequently washing your hands to help prevent the spread of flu and COVID.
