HHS HealthBeat (December 18, 2012)

Flu season is here

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

It’s not the season of joy, for sure, but we are now in the season of flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks the numbers. At the CDC, Dr. Joe Bresee:

“This season, we’ve already seen a lot of flu in the country, making it an especially early start to the flu season.”

But Bresee says there’s still time for people to get a flu vaccination:

“While it’s too early to tell how severe or how long the flu season will be at this point, if you haven’t already received your 2012-13 flu vaccine, you should do it now to protect you and your family. It’s not too late, even if your community has already had flu outbreaks.”

Vaccination is the most certain protection, but you can reduce your risk of picking up or spreading the flu by such things as frequent hand washing, covering your cough, or staying home when you’re sick.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: December 18, 2012