Staying ahead of the game, this year we have decided to enter our flu season recommendations early. Flu vaccination is generally available from the first days of September through mid-November. However, flu season spans from October to May, so the CDC highly recommends that you and your loved ones get your flu shot no later than the end of October. 

The CDC is the nation’s disease prevention agency. Created back in 1946, it experienced major changes in 1970, 1980, and 1992, when its name was officially set to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC highly recommends flu shots for anyone 6 months or older. It has also categorized the population groups who are at a higher risk of developing complications from the flu, namely:

• Children, 6 months to 5 years old
• Adults 65 or older
• Pregnant women
• Healthcare providers
• Nursing home residents

So, What Is Influenza Exactly?

Influenza, or flu, is a contagious disease that affects lungs, nose and throat.

Well, the first thing you may have noticed is that the word flu is a shortened form of Influenza, which is the real name of the virus disease responsible for seasonal epidemics year after year. 

It is caused by not one, but a number of influenza viruses, which are broken down into two categories, Type A and Type B. Once infected, the resulting illness can be anywhere from mild —meaning you have the ability to heal at home— to severe, which may require hospitalization and, in very extreme cases, lead to death.

As a contagious disease, it is spread by a number of factors:

• Skin to skin contact
• Exposure to a contaminated surface
• Saliva
• Coughing or sneezing, that is, via the airborne droplets expelled into the air