School is back which means it’s time to start thinking about flu shots. Last year we had an early and long flu season. The first cases occurred before Halloween and cases were rampant by Thanksgiving. We continued to see cases well into spring.

The best way to combat the flu is to get a yearly flu shot. Children who get flu vaccines are less likely to get the flu and less likely to transmit it to others. While the vaccine is never perfect at preventing illness, even when children do get the flu despite being vaccinated, they tend to be much less sick than their unvaccinated peers and are far less likely to have complications such as pneumonia or dehydration.

Flu shots are available in our office on a walk-in bases on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3-5 pm starting Sept 9 and running through Dec 4. There are also scheduled flu shot appointments throughout the day on Columbus Day. The best time to get vaccinated is before flu season begins, so get your child vaccinated ASAP.