Despite inexpensive flu vaccines being more widely available than ever before, fewer than half of Americans have taken advantage of the protection against the ailment that vaccinations can offer, U.S. health officials say.
With the flu claiming around 30,000 lives every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation, in place since 2010, is that every person older than 6 months should be given a flu shot.
The annual flu season, although it peaks in the United States between December and February, can start as early as October and last as late as May, the CDC says in urging people to consider flu shot soon as it becomes available, preferably in October.
However, experts point out, it is possible to get a flu shot too early, as the vaccine's power to protect will diminish over time.
"We call it waning immunity," says Jorge P. Parada, M.D., a professor of medicine at Loyola University in Chicago. "If you get your flu shot in the beginning of September, you may start running out of protection by February or March, when the virus is still around."
Still, experts agree, getting a flu shot even late in the season is better than not getting one at all.
Although flu viruses come in many different strains, each year's seasonal flu vaccine is formulated to protect against the main varieties that research suggests are the most likely to cause the most cases during the season, the CDC explains.
Just how bad a flu season can get varies from year to year, although reports out of Australia, where they're seeing the greatest number of flu cases in 5 years, suggests a possible rough flu season ahead.
A vaccination should be combined with common-sense health precautions like washing your hands and avoiding people who have been diagnosed with flu.
If you come down with the flu, the CDC recommends staying home from school or work so that you don't further the spread of the illness to others.
Particular recommendations for the control and prevention of influenza during the 2014-2015 season will be available on a CDC website, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Flu vaccine for each season is produced by private drug manufacturers, who have said they expect to make between 151 million and 159 million doses available for the U.S. market for the upcoming season.
Flu vaccinations are available from a wider range of sources than ever before, including pharmacies, supermarkets and many workplaces, suggesting little reason for people to forego getting a flu shot, experts say.
