We’re creeping into flu season in the United States, but certain parts of the country, namely the West Coast, are seeing an earlier-than-usual start to flu season and an earlier-than-usual increase in cases.
“Certainly in the Pacific Northwest, and ... in California as well, there has been an early rise in in flu cases,” said Dr. Helen Chu, a respiratory infections specialist at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
“Flu in the United States traditionally starts in the South and Southeast, and then sort of migrates up and then west,” Chu said, which means the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast tend to get flu last.
That isn’t the case right now.
“This year, it seems like we’re having a flu A surge very, very early,” Chu noted.
It’s too early to predict exactly what this flu season will look like, but you can expect to see flu spread to other states as we head toward winter.
“Eventually, flu goes everywhere ... rarely does it miss a city in the U.S.,” said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
Flu does hit different regions at different times, though, so it’s particularly important to pay attention to your local health department to hear what local cases are like throughout the season, he said. This way, if you want to change any behaviors (such as masking in crowded spaces or avoiding a busy theater during the height of flu season), you can do so.
The flu is caused by three different viruses: H1N1 and H3N2 (which both cause flu A), and the influenza B virus.
“This early season here in the U.S., which is, again, focused mostly on the West Coast, is dominated by this H1N1 virus,” Pekosz said.
There has been so much attention to this early rise in cases because of the H1N1 strain, Pekosz added. “Because it certainly, on paper, looks like a virus that could be a little bit more easy to spread and maybe infect more people because it’s better at evading that immunity that you have,” Pekosz said.
Again, experts can’t predict what this potentially more infectious flu virus means for flu season, but prevention remains paramount.
It’s also not currently known how effective the vaccine will be against the circulating strains of flu, but even if the vaccine is not a perfect match to the circulating strains, it still offers important protection.
“Studies have also shown that even when the virus is a little mismatched from the vaccine, you can still see protection from severe disease,” Pekosz said.
With an early start to flu season, now is the best time to get the flu shot — if you haven’t gotten it already.
“I think it probably makes sense to get vaccinated a little bit earlier this year,” Chu said.
Dr. Kaylan Christianer, a primary care doctor and assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, agreed. With flu circulating, “it’s a sign that now is an excellent time to get a flu shot.” The vaccine takes roughly two weeks to become fully effective, Christianer added.
The vaccine is recommended for everyone six months and older, said Pekosz, before adding that there are several versions of the vaccine out there that are intended for different groups.
Anyone can get the standard dose flu shot, but for older adults 65 and up, there is also a high-dose flu shot available. For adults ages 50 to 64, there is a new mRNA vaccine also available, Pekosz added.
But any flu shot is better than no flu shot. “People shouldn’t delay getting it to find the perfect vaccine, because at the end of the day, the most important thing is getting a flu vaccine,” Christianer said.
There’s also an at-home nasal vaccine known as FluMist, which is great for people (or kids) who are afraid of needles, Chu said.
Vaccination is the best protection tool, though other hygiene measures can protect you from the flu this fall and winter, Christianer said.
“It’s a lot of the things that we do to protect ourselves against any sort of respiratory illness, for example, washing your hands, if you’re in crowded locations, you can consider wearing a mask, if you are sick, staying home from work or kids staying home from school to help prevent the spread of the illness,” Christianer said.
The last several flu seasons have been really severe throughout the United States, with high rates of infection, hospitalization and death.
“Vaccine uptake is going down, and so we think that might be part of the reason why we’ve been having potentially a more severe flu season,” Chu said.
To protect yourself, your loved ones and your community, getting the flu vaccine remains the best way to stay well and avoid any serious outcomes from the flu.