Flu Season This Year: Flu Vaccines & Flu Symptoms

What are the different flu types?

There are four types of flu viruses: A, B, C and D. Human influenza A and B viruses are responsible for flu season, or the seasonal flu epidemics that occur every winter in the U.S. Influenza A can infect both humans and animals are also the only influenza viruses known to cause global flu pandemics. Influenza B viruses are less common than influenza A, and unlike type A, only infect humans. Influenza C virus infections are usually mild in humans, and influenza D viruses mostly affect cattle and are not thought to cause illness in people.

Influenza A is divided into subtypes based on the combination of proteins present on the surface of the virus. More than 130 subtypes of influenza A have been identified in nature (mostly in wild birds), but there are potentially many more combinations that have yet to be identified.

When is the best time to get the flu vaccine?

You are encouraged to get a flu vaccine every year, preferably before November. Influenza can often circulate at the same time as other respiratory viruses such as RSV and COVID-19, and these illnesses can have similar symptoms. The flu vaccine is updated each season as needed to protect against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season.

Why get the flu vaccine?

Even if you get a strain of the flu not covered by the vaccine, you will experience milder symptoms and recover faster if you get a flu shot this season. People who get the flu vaccine are less often hospitalized and may develop fewer complications that can lead to death.

Flu vaccination is especially important for people age 65 years and older because they are at high risk of developing serious complications from flu. A high-dose vaccine is available for these older adults, whose immune response is weaker than those who are younger. Persons over 65 may receive any vaccine available to them even if the high-dose vaccine is not available.

How and where can I get vaccinated?

University Hospitals primary care and pediatric patients can schedule a flu shot with their primary care provider. We accept all major insurance plans, and most plans cover the cost of a flu vaccination. You can schedule your appointment for just a flu shot or you can request one during your next office visit. Additionally, UH retail pharmacies offer walk-in flu shots.

No primary care physician? No problem. UH has you covered with these options:

Flu and Children

Most children are ill with the flu for less than a week. But those with more serious illness may need to be treated in the hospital. For children, flu is more dangerous than the common cold. Children younger than age 5 – especially those younger than age 2 – are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications, as are children with chronic health problems. So annual vaccination against the flu is especially important for youngsters.

The CDC estimates that since 2010, flu-related hospitalizations among U.S. children younger than age 5 have ranged from 7,000 to 26,000. The flu vaccine offers the best defense against flu and its potentially serious consequences and can reduce the spread of flu to others.

The CDC says it’s best for children to receive their flu vaccination by the end of October, but getting it later can still provide protection, as most flu activity peaks between December and February. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body to develop antibodies that protect against flu virus infection.

You Can Get the Flu Vaccination at Your Doctor’s Office or a Health Clinic

Ask your doctor if you have questions. “It takes up to two weeks to get full protection from the influenza shot, so get your vaccination as early as possible,” says Amy Edwards, MD, Associate Medical Director for Infection Control at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

The Flu Shot Does Not Cause the Flu

“When you get a flu shot, inactivated flu viruses are injected into your body. These dead viruses cannot give you the flu, but they do prompt the body to make antibodies,” Dr. Edwards says. “If you are exposed to the same strains later in the flu season, the antibodies fight the germs.”