Flu Season Expectations and How to Protect Yourself

Flu season is fast approaching, and health experts are urging people to protect themselves with the flu vaccine and the new edition of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention I like to recommend getting vaccinated against influenza between September and October, which provides effective protection against the disease before its peak between December and February, the reports say.

In 2024, the flu vaccine will protect against three different viruses, including two forms of influenza A and one style of influenza B. Most people will only need one dose to be protected against the flu. However, the CDC urges unvaccinated children to get the vaccine first. Experts also recommend that unvaccinated children age eight or younger get two doses of the vaccine, a minimum of 4 weeks apart, to provide full protection.

Adults 65 and older are at higher risk for severe flu illness, which is why the CDC recommends Fluzon High-Dose, Flubok or Fluad for defense over the usual flu shot. The leading U.S. health organization says adults who fall into this category should ask for the shots, which “elicit a stronger immune response” than the regular flu shot, to provide an additional layer of protection.

Health experts typically look to Australia to see what the flu season will appear like within the U.S., since their season runs from June to September. According to the report, there have been no unusual numbers of hospitalizations or deaths from the flu, giving a glimmer of hope for the upcoming flu season within the United States compared to what it has been in recent times.

In 2023, influenza killed about 25,000 people within the U.S. and hospitalized 400,000.

“In an optimal year, you’re about 80% (effective). In a bad year, maybe 30%,” said Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical director of infection prevention and control at UCHealth. “It looks like it was a pretty typical flu season. It didn’t necessarily start early, which was our concern last year.”

As experts expect an influx of flu and COVID cases during this 12 months’s flu season, they’re encouraging everyone six months and older to get the brand new COVID-19 vaccine, designed to combat the brand new KP.2 variant, a strain that has been common within the U.S. since April 2024. Both the COVID and flu vaccines might be given at the identical time.

Flu shots can be found at doctor’s offices, pharmacies, health clinics, and in some cases, even at work. There isn’t any out-of-pocket cost for individuals with insurance to get the vaccine so long as it is run by an in-network provider.

Uninsured adults can get free or low-cost vaccines at some federally recognized health centers and state and local health departments, but experts warn that vaccine availability could also be limited.

The COVID vaccine costs $150 to $200, while flu shots cost $25 to greater than $100. Children without insurance can get each vaccines without cost through the federal government’s Vaccines for Children program.