Flu Season Is Nowhere Near Over: Here Are 4 Flu Facts You Need to Know! by Cindy Cooke, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP

This flu season is shaping up to be a doozy, and people across the country are bracing for what might be a downright miserable – and dangerous – diagnosis. Your fate is not sealed just because you skipped the flu shot in October. However, before you to stock up on chicken noodle soup and old movies, here’s why getting a flu shot is still a good idea:

• We’re not even halfway through flu season. Experts expect as long as another 12 weeks of misery, and a flu shot is still the best defense.

• Influenza B is a late bloomer. While H3N2 is wreaking havoc now, the B strain hits later in the season, and the flu shot is more effective at fighting it.

• A flu shot can keep you from getting really sick. Yes, you can still get the flu if you’ve gotten a flu shot, but you will likely be less sick and experience fewer complications.

• The flu is everywhere. For the first time since monitoring prevalence, the flu is widespread across the entire U.S. Forget pockets, we are all in one big flu petri dish.

Get your flu shot today!