Add GET YOUR FLU SHOT subject lines to all your mom's emails about Ebola in Brooklyn and the dangers of eating mochi—health officials say we're heading into peak flu season right now, with 43 states reporting significant flu activity.
Flu scaremongering is a thing every year, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously noted this year's season may be especially problematic thanks to a mutation in strains that made the current vaccine less effective. This is not to say that you should skip out on a shot, and the CDC says people should still get vaccinated to help cut down on the spread. "The vaccine isn't perfect, but it's the best protection we have for prevention," Dr. Lisa Thebner, a pediatrician in NYC, told CNN last month.
Officials warn that young children and the elderly are most at risk, and so far 21 children have died of complications from flu this season. Last year, the city's Health Department warned that too few children were getting vaccinated against the illness, and the city recently moved to mandate flu shots in public preschools and child care centers.
For those of us with grown-up immune systems, the flu can still strike hard. The CDC says it can spread from one infected person to another as far as 6 feet away, and warn those afflicted with influenza to stay home, something we've stressed here time and time again. If you haven't vaxxed up yet, it's not too late—you can find available vaccines at local pharmacies by using the city's Flu Locator website.
