When the flu season begins and ends: find out so you can act in time!

The term “flu season” describes the months when the incidence of influenza is highest. As with many other viruses, the number of people infected tends to decrease each year in a relatively predictable pattern.

As Jay Woody, MD explains, flu season begins in October. The number of cases increases as the months become colder and peaks in January and February.

Of course, you can catch the flu at any time of the year – the virus doesn’t disappear anywhere. But it spreads in the form of droplets of saliva and mucus, and in the warm season the life of such a “horse” is much shorter. Thus, the flu season ends on average in April or May.

The flu virus is constantly evolving. This is why the vaccine you received last year might not be useful this year. The tool is constantly updated – the WHO announces before the start of the epidemic season which three strains it must protect against.

To identify ‘newcomers’, more than 120 National Influenza Study Centers have been established in more than 90 countries around the world. The specialists who work there analyze many factors: strains in circulation, movement of people, migration of birds, etc. After receiving WHO recommendations, vaccine makers develop new drugs that usually arrive in hospitals and clinics in early fall.

It is best to get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available: it usually takes up to three weeks for antibodies to develop. However, even if you have not been vaccinated on the recommended date – until the end of October, this does not mean that everything is over, since the peak of incidence occurs in February. So remember to protect yourself if you want to have fun in the winter, and not to stay home and be bored while everyone is having fun.

Read also: Cranberries don’t work, but the vaccine does! Understanding popular health myths