Your flu shot can’t wait

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I learned by looking at federal data that the flu season started earlier than usual this year. but i also I know this because I woke up last night with body aches and chills, just a few days before I was scheduled to get a flu shot (!).

Some areas of the country are already seeing levels of flu activity typically associated with late fall or early winter. In Washington state, for example, doctors report there are as many flu cases now as there are usually around Christmas.

To be clear, flu activity overall remains low. But as of October 7, infections were increasing in all 50 states. The flu starts spreading long before many people (like me) get their annual vaccine.

Epidemiologists don’t yet know why the flu is arriving early this year or why cases started rising first in Western states such as Washington, California and Nevada. A mutation may be helping this year’s flu variant evade existing immunity, a virologist tells NPR. International travel may also play a role: Japan and other parts of Asia also saw an earlier surge in flu cases.

we don’t need to know Why Flu strikes early, though, so take some basic precautions. So today, we’re going to talk about some practical tips for dealing with the early flu season.

An early flu season doesn’t necessarily mean a worse season, but even a mild one can cause serious damage. Last year, influenza resulted in hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths, including nearly 200 children.

The first and best way to avoid such harm is to get a flu shot, which can reduce the risk of serious illness by an average of 40 to 60 percent. In the United States, people 6 months and older are generally told to get vaccinated by the end of October.

However, given the early onset of illness (it takes two weeks to build full immunity), you may want to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

There are also some everyday precautions you can take – many of which are commonplace in the age of Covid-19. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, washing for a little longer than feels appropriate. Wear a mask when you are sick or may encounter others who are sick.

And don’t neglect good habits that support your overall health: getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, and eating a balanced diet. (There is little evidence for more popular interventions such as supplements, saunas, cold baths, or the herbal baths my eccentric former yoga teacher once recommended.)

If you do develop flu symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible, especially if you are older, pregnant, immunocompromised, or at higher risk for complications. Prescription antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu, prevent the flu virus from spreading in your body so your immune system can clear it. But they work best within 48 hours of symptoms starting.

To be clear, you don’t have to believe any of my promises. I’m just another voice in the public health noise! Furthermore, recent polls indicate that my particular voice—that of a media worker—is no longer as persuasive as it once was. (The same goes for medical websites and government health agencies.)

But if you have questions or concerns about the vaccine, you can ask someone closer to home: Ask your doctor (or nurse or pharmacist) about the risks and benefits of the flu shot. They are best equipped to break down the science and apply it to your health. Hindsight would tell me not to postpone the shoot for a more convenient weekend.

➨ Get creative in the fight against inflation. The latest inflation data is out today and it’s pretty dire. The cost of many goods and services has risen faster than consumer incomes and economists expected. For me, this news reminds me of a question that a former Vox personal finance columnist tackled a few years ago: Namely, am I cursed to always spend more money on more things? ! Her answer is essentially “yes,” but she offers some ways to help offset those costs: such as moving to more affordable areas or pooling resources through things like tool libraries and community gardens.