How to Prepare for Flu Season

dr Kwong said people at higher risk of flu complications, including those who are pregnant, 65 years of age or older, or those with conditions such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes, may want to get the flu shot as soon as possible. People living in parts of the United States that already have moderate or high levels of flu activity, such as Texas, New Mexico, Delaware, and Georgia, should also get vaccinated as soon as possible. (To see what flu activity is like where you live, scroll down to the map on this webpage.)

However, for optimal protection, some people want to wait.

If you’re not at high risk of complications and flu activity is low where you live, and you’re one of those people who want to optimize your flu protection, waiting another month or two might be a good choice, experts say. who I spoke to said. dr Nuzzo said she usually gets her flu shot in October, while Dr. Kwong said he often waits until November.

Waiting may make sense because people are more likely to be exposed to the flu virus in winter than early fall — and the protection the flu vaccine offers wears off over time, said Emily Martin, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health .

dr Martin and her colleagues published a study in 2021 that found that the flu shot’s ability to protect against flu-related hospitalizations decreased by 8 to 9 percent each month after vaccination over four flu seasons. A 2019 study reported that the odds of getting the flu increased by 16 percent every 28 days after vaccination. This is relevant considering that in the last flu season, flu was still spreading in some US regions in March, April and even June, perhaps as people increased travel and eased Covid restrictions. If you got your flu shot in August or September, you may not be protected against the flu during the spring and early summer months, Dr. kwong

However, the vaccine can still partially protect you after seven or eight months, said Dr. Martin. So don’t worry if you’ve already received your vaccine. Getting the flu shot early is better than none at all, she added.

In crowded indoor areas, wear a mask and wash your hands regularly.

Even if the flu isn’t spreading in the area where you live, experts recommend wearing a mask in crowded indoor areas. “Masking helps reduce the spread of many respiratory viruses, not just the flu,” explained Dr. Martin, and in early fall there can be 20 or more viruses circulating due to back-to-school spread, she said. dr Kwong recommended wearing high-quality, well-fitting masks such as N95s, KN95s, or KF94s. When that’s not possible, surgical masks are more protective than cloth masks, but cloth is better than nothing, he said.