Flu Season is Here – Are you Prepared?


This week officially marks the start of flu season. Have you gotten your flu shot yet? According to the Centers For Diseases Control (CDC), flu season begins in October, typically peaks in January and February and can last until May. The CDC recommends that everyone age six months and older get a flu shot, sooner rather than later, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu.


The flu is caused by the influenza virus, and each year, experts predict which type of flu will be the most common. While a flu shot doesn’t always guarantee that you won’t get the flu, it can protect you from the virus, minimize the illness, and help prevent the spread of the virus to others.

The following groups are strongly urged to get a flu shot every year:

Day care providers

Health care providers

The elderly and those who care for the elderly

Pregnant women

People with weak immune systems or chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease


Need a Flu Shot? 

With flu shots now available from doctors offices, urgent care centers, retail clinics and pharmacies, it’s more convenient than ever to find a flu shot location near you. Many locations, like Walgreens Take Care Clinics, are open seven days a week, including evenings and weekends, and provide flu shots on a walk-in or appointment basis.

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Medical experts agree that a flu shot is the best way to protect against influenza. When more people get vaccinated, fewer people, especially those with compromised immune systems, develop complications from the flu that can lead to pneumonia and even death.