“We may see an atypical season with timing since we as a population don’t have the same immune protection since the last time many people encountered flu was March 2020,” he wrote in an email. Jeffrey Silvers, medical director of infection control for Sutter Health, said some seasons can start as early as September or October, or continue through April.īut Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert with UCSF, said, “All bets are off this year.” That’s because with flu taking a break last year, he said, our immune systems’ guard is down. “There could be a much higher flu rate this season, so everybody should go get the flu shot this year to be safe.” When does flu season usually run?įlu season varies, but typically it starts in November, peaks between December and February, and lasts through March. Darvin Scott Smith, chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center. “With things opening up and travel increasing, the resurgence of the flu is a big concern,” said Dr. They fear that if the flu does return this year, it could result in a double whammy - known in the medical world as coinfection. That’s even more important at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts say. The CDC says the best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated. population gets sick with the flu - which can cause mild to severe illness, and can be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in a typical season, an average of 8% of the U.S. Here’s what you should know about getting a flu shot this season.

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