November 16, 2023
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious DiseasesJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
November 16, 2023
Should I get a flu shot if I already had the flu this season?
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. The flu shot covers FOUR strains – you don’t want to catch it again! TL;DR: It’s hard to know which flu strain you got or which one will be dominant in the next few months. Go ahead and get that shot even if you had confirmed or suspected influenza. The current flu vaccine Read more…
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
November 16, 2023
Should I get a flu shot if I already had the flu this season?
Infectious Diseases VaccinesJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. The flu shot covers FOUR strains – you don’t want to catch it again! TL;DR: It’s hard to know which flu strain you got or which one will be dominant in the next few months. Go ahead and get that shot even if you had confirmed or suspected influenza. The current flu vaccine Read more…
A: Yes. The flu shot covers FOUR strains – you don’t want to catch it again! TL;DR: It’s hard to know which flu strain you got or which one will be dominant in the next few months. Go ahead and get that shot even if you had confirmed or suspected influenza. The current flu vaccine Read more…