As National Influenza Vaccination Week approaches from Dec. 5 through Dec. 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning Americans to get vaccinated against influenza before the season kicks into high gear.
“Don’t be fooled by the past few months. Flu is coming,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said at a Dec. 3 media briefing. “And in most years, flu is most active in the winter months.” Last season was unusual, she said, because “by this time a year ago, we’d already seen a tremendous amount” of influenza due to the H1N1 virus. But in a typical season, influenza is most intense between January and March.
There are early signs that influenza spread is on the upswing, officials said. “Sharp increases” in influenza activity have been seen in the southeastern United States, Dr. Schuchat said, especially in Georgia and particularly among school-age children.
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