With flu season beginning earlier than it has in more than a decade, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that this season could be a bad one.
While more than a third of Americans have been vaccinated, Dec. 2 through Dec. 8 is National Influenza Vaccination week and the CDC encouraged everyone older than six months to get vaccinated.
According to the CDC, certain groups are at a higher risk for infection and vaccination is especially important to prevent complications.
- Pregnant women
- Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
- People 65 years of age and older
- People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease)
Southern states have seen an increase in cases this flu season, causing doctors to encourage everyone to get vaccinated before flu season peaks in mid-winter.
Flu symptoms can include fever, fatigue, cough head and body aches, runny nose, vomiting and diarrhea.
Information for this story was provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Associated Press.
