Skip Navigation

CDC urges early vaccination against flu

vaccine.jpg

(Harrisburg) — The seasonal flu can start as early as this month, and experts say it’s important to get vaccinated before it spreads.

More Pennsylvanians got vaccinated during the 2012 flu season compared to 2011, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, flu vaccination rates hover around 50 percent year after year.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends everyone older than six months get the shot.

The CDC’s Dr. Lyn Finelli says getting it now offers advantages.

“Having a peak in late December is a very early flu season. In that case, we want everyone to get vaccinated early cause it does take a couple of weeks for the vaccine to reach its full potential to protect you against the flu,” she says.

Finelli says it’s hard to predict when the flu season will hit, but after last year’s early peak, it may be best to get vaccinated earlier than usual.

The vaccine is especially important for pregnant women, who may face longer hospital stays and loss of their unborn child if they get the flu.


This article appeared originally on witf.org.