What can we expect from the flu season this year? Unfortunately, many experts are predicting an active, and possibly severe, flu season. This projection is based on data from Australia, where the flu season is just wrapping up. Australia was hit early and hard by flu this year: over 300,000 patients had laboratory-confirmed influenza, a record number of cases. Flu outbreaks in the Southern Hemisphere happen during our summers, and they often give us a clue as to what we should expect when the flu lands on our shores in the fall. Who should get the flu vaccine? Basically, everybody over the age of 6 months, except for those who have had a life-threatening reaction to a flu shot in the past, should get it. People with egg allergies will likely be able to receive a newer version of the flu vaccine, as described below. It is especially important […]
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