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Friday's Health Report: What to expect from this flu season
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BATON ROUGE — Fall may mean colorful leaves, hayrides and pumpkin spice, but it is also the time when flu viruses tend to start spreading.
Health officials say now is the time to start protecting yourself and loved ones.
It's almost that time of year again; fall signals the start of flu season, which typically starts in October with peaks between December and February.
"We're expecting this year to be moderate, but last year was severe. We had more illnesses, more hospitalizations, and more preventable deaths of children," Dr. Sarah Nosal, American Academy of Family Physicians, said.
Dr. Nosal says the best protection is to get the flu shot as soon as it's available to you before the season gets into full swing.
The CDC recommends everyone six months and older, with rare exceptions, receive the vaccine, which is trivalent this season, meaning it protects against three strains of the influenza virus.
Dr. Nosal says vaccination can help protect against severe disease.
"Your body is ready to take on that fight. So instead of ending up in the hospital with the flu, you might have a runny nose for a few days, and you will be much less contagious," Dr. Nosal said.
For the first time this flu season, there's an at-home flu vaccine available in 34 states. Flumist is a nasal spray approved for non-pregnant people between the ages of two and 49, Dr. Nosal says to talk to a doctor to make sure you're eligible to receive it.
"You really need to check in if you have any of the medical conditions that would make it not safe to be given. It's really for healthy young people," she said.
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