Flu Shots in Rhode Island: Get Them Soon

By Deb Belt, Patch Staff

NEWPORT, RI -- This year, you're going to have to get a flu shot if you want to be vaccinated against the virus. The sooner the better, doctors say, since the flu season typically starts by late October or early November.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the nasal spray shouldn't be used in the 2016-2017 flu season because recent studies show it's not effective in preventing the flu.

Flu vaccination can reduce illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations, says the CDC. The more people who get vaccinated, the more people will be protected from flu, including older people, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications.

Get vaccinated soon, because it takes two weeks for the vaccine to get working. Per CDC guidelines, everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year by the end of October, if possible.

The agency recommends several steps to fighting the flu: vaccination; everyday preventive actions, like staying away from sick people; and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading flu to others. In addition, there are prescription antiviral drugs can treat people who are very sick with the flu or are at high risk for serious flu complications.

Among those who are at higher risk for developing flu-related complications are children younger than 5, especially if they are younger than 2; adults who are 65 and older; pregnant women; and people with asthma and chronic lung diseases, says the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in Baltimore. People with diabetes and heart disease should also take special care to stay safe from infections.

The many flu viruses are constantly changing, and the Centers for Disease Control says it reviews and updates U.S. flu vaccines every year to match circulating flu viruses. Flu vaccines protect against the three or four viruses that research suggests will be most common. For 2016-2017, three-component vaccines are recommended to contain:

• A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
• A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus and a
• B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus (B/Victoria lineage).

The flu bug begins to make the rounds in October and November. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and March and can last as late as May.

And health officials refute the old wives' tale: You can't get the flu from the flu shot.

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