Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
New information from the Centers for Disease Control says this year's flu has mutated, making the vaccines which flu vaccine manufacturers released less, or not effective. VPC
This flu season is shaping up to be a doozy.(Photo: Brigitte Sporrer/Cultura, Getty Images)
You may want to wash your hands often and stock up on tissues.
We're in the midst of what looks like a "very early and pretty aggressive flu season," according to Michael Smith, a doctor and chief medical editor for WebMD.
Flu season occurs during the colder months of the year and typically peaks between December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This season is looking particularly bad because the predominant strain, H3N2, is not covered by the current flu vaccine and tends to have more severe symptoms, Smith said. H3N2 accounted for the majority of the strains tested by the CDC so far this season, according to a health advisory issued in early December.
The H3N2 flu strain isn't uncommon; it's just not what was predicted when the flu vaccine was created, Smith said. What's included in the U.S. vaccine is determined each year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on recommendations from the World Health Organization. It takes about six months to produce, according to the CDC.
Still, getting a flu shot is the number one way to protect yourself against getting the flu, Smith said. And even though this year's shot doesn't include protection against H3N2, it will protect against other strains and also cause your body to create antibodies that will provide some protection, according to the CDC.
To stay healthy this season and limit the spread of illness, Smith gave these three recommendations:
1. Get the flu shot
2. Wash your hands and do whatever you can to avoid touching your face
3. If you do get sick, stay home. If you go into the office or school when you're sick you risk spreading the virus. Once you go 24 hours without a fever without the aid of fever-reducing medicine, you are no longer contagious and can return to work.
And here's a look at U.S. areas most affected by colds and flu in 2014:
Follow @lagrisham on Twitter
Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed