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RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Depending on what’s happening in the southern hemisphere, this year’s flu season could be tough.
“Australia has just finished its worst flu season in five years,” said Kia Mohajer, a clinical specialist at the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy at Popular Health.
He explains that Australia is a kind of “crystal ball” of what the autumn and winter months can look like for us, and with that said, now is the time to build your immune system.
“Ideally, we would vaccinate everyone by the end of October to ensure a sustained immune response throughout the flu season,” Mohajer said.
Like many other vaccines, the effectiveness of the flu vaccine decreases with each passing month.
“There was a recent study Clinical infectious disease This suggests a seven to eight percent reduction, but this is one study,” he said. Cheryl Hug-English, MD Medical Director at the UNR Student Health Center
In our area, flu season starts in late September or early October and peaks around December and January.
If the research is correct, getting the vaccine now will give you enough protection for the next five to six months.
“It also depends on the type of virus,” Higg-England said.
If you can’t get your shot now, experts agree it’s not too late.
However, if you’re planning to travel this holiday season, be aware that flu-fighting antibodies last two weeks after the first shot.
Research shows that fewer people plan to get the vaccine compared to last year. One reason is that you don’t know if you can get the flu and the covid booster at the same time.
“It’s okay to get one of the new boosters and one of the flu shots, both the covid boosters, on the same day,” Hug-English said. “One piece of advice I would give is to get them in different arms.”
You can also get vaccinated at the Washoe County Health District. For information on how to schedule an appointment, go to: https://www.washoecounty.gov/health/programs-and-services/cchs/immunization-program/index.php#hours
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