Flu (Influenza)

Influenza

Influenza (flu) is a highly contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, and lungs that occurs most often in the late fall, winter, and early spring in the US. Flu is a serious infection that affects between 5-20% of the US population annually. Each year in the US, millions of people get sick, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands to tens of thousands die from flu and related complications.

Flu can impact people of all ages.

What are the symptoms?
Common symptoms include fever (101ºF-102ºF), muscle/body aches, chills, tiredness, with sudden onset. Other symptoms may include a cough and/or sore throat and a runny or stuffy nose. Flu frequently causes people to miss school and work, and in some cases, may cause serious complications such as pneumonia.

How can it be prevented?
The best way to prevent flu is to receive an influenza vaccination every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get vaccinated annually. The best time to get vaccinated is in the early fall, as soon as vaccines is available. However, vaccination throughout the flu season is still beneficial.