Flu Season 2022-2023

• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get the annual flu vaccine by the end of October. Learn more about vaccine timing.
• Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for infants should be vaccinated instead.

Where to Get a Flu Vaccine

You can get a flu shot at most of the PCP locations at Harrington HealthCare; call your PCP to arrange to get vaccinated there. If you don’t currently have a PCP, now is a great time to get one.

Adults and some children can also get a flu shot at many local retail pharmacies and other public facilities. You can find more information at the Mass.gov site.

About Flu Vaccine Safety

The flu vaccine is safe and beneficial for the vast majority of people. For information about who should and shouldn’t get the flu vaccine, how it is made, its effectiveness, benefits and potential side effects, see CDC’s page on Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine.

It is possible to pass the flu on to someone else before you even know you are sick, as well as when you are feeling symptoms. According to the CDC:

• People with flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins.
• Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.
• Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems might be able to infect others with flu viruses for an even longer time.

To avoid catching and spreading the flu, follow these important guidelines:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• If you are sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
• Cover coughs and sneezes. Be sure to cover both your nose and mouth with a tissue and throw it in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with viruses that cause flu.
• See Everyday Preventative Actions and recommended precautions to take during daily life and when going out for more information about actions – apart from getting vaccinated and taking medicine – that people and communities can take to help slow the spread of illnesses like the flu.
• For flu, the CDC recommends that people stay home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone except to get medical care or other necessities. Fever should be gone without the need to use fever-reducing medicines, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. The stay-at-home guidance for COVID-19 may be different.

Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people also may have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

Unfortunately, many of these symptoms can also occur with COVID-19 as well as the common cold.

Read more about Flu vs. COVID »

Most people with the flu have mild illnesses and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs. If you get sick with flu symptoms, in most cases, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. If, however, you have symptoms of flu and are in a high-risk group, or are very sick or worried about your illness, contact your health care provider (doctor, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, etc.).

Individuals who are at high risk of serious flu-related complications include young children, people 65 years of age and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions. This is true both for seasonal flu and novel flu virus infections. (For a full list of people at high risk of flu-related complications, see People at High Risk of Developing Flu-Related Complications).

If you are in a high-risk group and develop flu symptoms, it’s best for you to contact your doctor early in your illness. Remind them about your high-risk status for flu.

Antiviral Drugs

Antiviral drugs are available to help treat the flu. CDC recommends that

Antiviral drugs are available to help treat the flu. CDC recommends that people at high risk for complications should get antiviral treatment as early as possible because the benefit is greatest if treatment is started within 2 days after illness onset. Some things to know about these drugs are:

• Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are prescription medicines (pills, liquid, or an inhaled powder) and are not available over-the-counter.
• Antiviral drugs can make flu illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For people with high-risk factors, treatment with an antiviral drug can mean the difference between having a milder illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay.
• Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 2 days of getting sick, but starting them later can still be helpful, especially if the sick person has a high-risk factor or is very sick from flu.
• If you are at higher risk from flu and get flu symptoms, call your health care provider early so you can be treated with flu antivirals if needed. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking this drug.