Get the facts about flu season.
Flu season typically runs from October to May, but cases tend to peak between December and February.
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Flu shot basics.
Influenza, or the flu, is a contagious viral respiratory illness that affects millions of Americans each year. It’s not just a nuisance—it’s a serious illness that can lead to severe complications, especially for older adults, young children, and those with chronic health conditions. Each year, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands die from flu-related causes.
The best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and our community is by getting the annual flu vaccine. Together, we can help reduce the spread of the flu and keep our families healthy.
Visit a Health First Family Pharmacy.
With four convenient locations throughout Brevard, our family pharmacies make it easy to get your flu shot.
Why you should get it.
- Stay protected: The flu vaccine is your best defense against the flu. It reduces the risk of flu-related hospitalization and can lessen the severity of symptoms if you do contract the virus.
- Prevent hospitalization: The flu shot can lower your risk of serious illness and hospitalization by up to 60%.
- Protect your loved ones: Getting vaccinated shields your loved ones and can be lifesaving for children.
Community wellness: Your vaccination helps create a healthier, safer community by preventing the spread of the flu.
Are you feeling under the weather? Know your flu symptoms.
Symptoms can appear suddenly and may include:
- Fever or feeling feverish
- Chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
Flu FAQs
Flu viruses are constantly changing, and different strains circulate every year. The flu vaccine protects against the four viruses projected to be the most common that year.
The vaccine delivers antibodies, which help protect our bodies against the flu. These antibodies decrease over time, making it necessary to get another dose each year.
If you’re sick, wait until you’re feeling better before you get vaccinated. Feel free to get your flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available each year. For adults who are age 65 or older, it’s best to go in September or October. If you get your shot before then, your level of antibodies might decrease significantly before the end of flu season.
No. Even flu vaccines that include live flu viruses cannot make you sick. Although you won’t get the flu from the vaccine, you might experience mild side effects. Don’t be surprised if you get muscles aches, soreness at the injection site, a mild headache, fever, nausea or fatigue.
- You could be exposed to the virus right before getting vaccinated, and experience symptoms after your dose.
- It takes about two weeks after vaccination to develop antibodies to help protect you from the virus. If you’re exposed to the virus during those two weeks, you could still get sick.
- You could be exposed to a flu virus that wasn’t included in the vaccine. The effectiveness of the vaccine varies each year, depending on how close a match there is between the viruses included in the annual vaccine and the strains that are circulating.
Even if you do get the flu, though, your symptoms are likely to be less severe than if you hadn’t been vaccinated. Flu vaccination was associated with a 26 percent lower risk of ICU admission and a 31percent lower risk of death from flu compared with those who were unvaccinated, according to a 2021 study.