Utica, NY – It’s easy to take a casual approach to flu season when the weather is still nice. Fall in upstate New York is a great time of year, when more thought is likely given to how your favorite football team is doing than to getting the flu vaccine. But fall is the perfect time to get ready for the flu season because the peak months for infection loom just ahead.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitored flu cases over a 40-year period from 1982 through 2022 and found that, while flu activity in October and November is at a low but trackable level, cases increase in December and dramatically spike in February, before gradually tapering down through May.
“After vaccination, it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the influenza, so it’s always best to get vaccinated before the flu viruses start to circulate in the community,” says Lorna Fitzpatrick, MD, vice president and medical director at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
One person with the flu can infect other people one day before any symptoms develop, and up to about seven days after they become sick. The virus can spread to others up to about six feet away, mainly by microscopic droplets expelled into the air when people cough, sneeze or even talk.
For some, infection results in a fever, chills, body aches, and a runny nose. But for the very young, the very old, women who are pregnant, and individuals with compromised immune systems, catching the flu can place them at high risk for serious complications, including death. “Your decision to get the flu vaccine could spare you from being the person who passes the virus around the office, school, health club, or at church,” says Fitzpatrick. “It isn’t always obvious who among us may have a compromised immune system, so getting the flu vaccine could prevent you from infecting someone whose body isn’t resilient enough to defend against its most deadly consequences.”
In addition to getting the annual flu vaccine, good health habits including covering your cough and washing your hands often can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses such as the flu.
The CDC recommends annual flu vaccines for everyone six months old and older. Vaccines are readily available at most pharmacies, or through your health care provider. It is never too late in the flu season to get the vaccine, but it’s advisable to get it sooner rather than later so your body can develop protective antibodies before the peak months for infection arrive.
For more information on the 2024-2025 flu season, visit www.cdc.gov/flu.
