This year's flu bug is a nasty one, experts say, but the flu shot vaccine is up to the challenge.
October 1 marked the official start of flu season in Colorado, and since then, six people have been hospitalized with what seems to be a particularly bad strain. About 20 were hospitalized with the flu between August 1 and October, which is twice as many as usual for that time period. “Flu is unpredictable,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy stated in a press release from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). “The increased number of cases we’re seeing doesn’t necessarily signal a more serious flu season, but it does mean the sooner you get your flu shot, the better off you’ll be.” Specifically, flu cases so far this year are from Influenza A's H3N2 strain. Remember swine flu? That's not something anybody should mess with, and the CDPHE recommends everyone over the age of six months get a flu shot before the end of October, if possible. It takes a couple weeks to fully kick in. The flu vaccine that's been developed is designed to provide protection against multiple strains, including H3N2, Herlihy told The Denver Post. Based on what they've seen so far, she believes it is an effective way to ward off this year's virus and also prevent the spread of it to other people.
The flu season will last through May 26, 2018. So, yes: more of the calendar year is considered part of flu season than not. In the last flu season alone, 3,340 Coloradans were hospitalized with serious cases of the virus, with at least two deaths. There were more than 600,000 hospitalizations nationwide.
Flu shots are available now. The CDPHE recommends calling your health care provider for more information or visiting vaccinefinder.org. Many health care providers (like my own) are offering walk-in services for no-cost vaccinations during business hours.
So guess what I'm doing after work tonight? I've had H3N2 before (in the month of October no less!), and it was the closest I've ever felt to death. That's not an experience I want to repeat.
Will you be getting your flu shot? Have you ever been hospitalized with the flu? We want to hear your stories in the comments below!
