It’s Official, Flu Season Is Here

The holiday season is upon us. So, it seems, is the flu season. The Centers for Disease Control says reported cases of flu have jumped in the last week.

The good news? If you've gotten a flu shot, you're much more protected since the virus strains identified so far closely match the ones used in this year's batch of vaccine.

The CDC has set aside this week as National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). The week-long emphasis on flu vaccination was established to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as fostering greater use of flu vaccine after the holiday season into January and beyond.

With three strains of flu expected to circulate in the 2010-2011 season, the CDC says it is important that everyone six months of age and older get vaccinated if they haven't already done so, to protect themselves and their loved ones from flu.

Three strains identified so far

The three flu strains identified by the CDCs' Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are an A/H3N2 strain, a B strain and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic strain. This year's flu vaccine provides protection against all three strains and approximately 160 million doses of the vaccine have already been distributed nationwide.

Unlike previous years, when production snafus resulted in fewer-than-expected doses, there seems to be plenty of vaccine to go around. So much so that health officials want everyone to get a flu shot this year. The universal flu vaccine recommendation, which encourages everyone six months of age and older to be vaccinated, took effect this flu season.

Last year, the H1N1 "swine" flu didn't appear until April, after the U.S. flu vaccine formula was already in production, so the flu vaccine provided little, if any, protection from that strain. Health officials say this year, there are no such complications.

"The new vaccination recommendation shows the importance of preventing the flu in everyone," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, Assistant Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service and CDC's Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "People who do not get vaccinated are taking two risks: first, they are placing themselves at risk for the flu, including a potentially long and serious illness, and second, if they get sick, they are also placing their close contacts at risk for influenza."

"The bottom line is, anyone -- even healthy people -- can get sick from the flu," said Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard K. Koh said anyone - even healthy people - can get sick from the flu bug.

"Lead the way to better health for all by getting your flu shot," he urged.