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The 2022 fall flu season may be bad

| Healthy You | Wellness

Woman receives a flu shot

Get your flu shot sooner than later to protect yourself and your loved ones.

For a variety of reasons, experts predict this fall’s flu season could be bad.

During the last two years of the pandemic, we saw lower rates of the flu because people were taking measures to prevent COVID-19. 

“Masking and staying home seems to have dulled the impact of the flu during that time,” according to Catherine Kroll, director of infection prevention at PeaceHealth.

“With people starting to travel more and return to in-person school and other activities, it’s likely the U.S. could see more flu cases this fall than in the recent past.”

Getting your flu vaccination is an effective and safe way to reduce your chance of catching the flu — or at least limit the severity of the illness.

“We’re encouraging everyone to get their flu shot this year, especially people who are at higher risk of complications from the flu,” she said.

You can get your flu vaccination at a local pharmacy or your doctor’s office.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “September and October are generally good times to be vaccinated against flu. Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October.”

In addition to getting the flu shot, your family will want to keep up the good habits you’ve been practicing for the past few years, such as:

  • Washing your hands
  • Using tissues to sneeze, cough, etc.
  • Staying home when you don’t feel well