By Lorna Fitzpatrick, MD, vice president of medical affairs and senior medical director, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
It’s easy to take a casual approach to flu season when the weather is still nice. Fall in Western New York is a great time of year, when more thought is likely given to how our football team is doing than to getting the flu vaccine. But fall is the perfect time to get ready for the flu season because the peak months for infection loom just ahead.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitored flu cases over a 40-year period from 1982 through 2022 and found that, while flu activity in October and November is at a low but trackable level, cases increase in December and dramatically spike in February, before gradually tapering down through May.
After vaccination, it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the influenza, so it’s always best to get vaccinated before the flu viruses take hold.
One person with the flu can infect other people one day before any symptoms develop, and up to about seven days after they become sick. The virus can spread to others up to about six feet away, mainly by microscopic droplets expelled into the air when people cough, sneeze, or even talk.
For some, infection results in a fever, chills, body aches, and a runny nose. But for the very young, the very old, women who are pregnant, and individuals with compromised immune systems, catching the flu can place them at high risk for serious complications, including death.
CDC tracking data from the 2023–2024 flu season documents at least 34 million symptomatic cases of flu, resulting in 15 million medical visits, 380,000 hospitalizations, and 17,000 deaths.
Your decision to get the flu vaccine could spare you from being the person who passes the virus around the office, school, health club, or at church. It isn’t always obvious who among us may have a compromised immune system, so getting the flu vaccine could prevent you from infecting someone whose body isn’t resilient enough to defend against its most deadly consequences.
In addition to getting the annual flu vaccine, good health habits including covering your cough and washing your hands often can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses such as the flu.
The CDC recommends annual flu vaccines for everyone six months old and older. Vaccines are available at most pharmacies, or through your health care provider. It is never too late in the flu season to get the vaccine, but it’s best to get it sooner rather than later so your body can develop protective antibodies before the peak months for infection arrive.
For more information on the 2024-2025 flu season, visit www.cdc.gov/flu.
Contact:
Michelle Kraft, michelle.kraft@excellus.com
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 1.5 million upstate New York members. The company's mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine. With about 4,500 employees, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.
