"The Impact of Influenza: What To Know About the 2018-2019 Flu Season"-Kerry Weiss
We’re in the midst of flu season, and it’s never too late to protect yourself and your family from infectious influenza viruses. While the timing can vary, flu activity generally increases each year in October, peaks from December to February, and persists into May. Every year, the CDC and the World Health Organization monitor the flu viruses that are circulating in the Southern Hemisphere and countries around the world to determine which might pose the highest risk. “Tracking the flu helps us educate ourselves to perform better and better every year,” said Waleed Javaid, MD, the director of infection prevention and control for Mount Sinai Downtown. What’s different about this year’s vaccine is that it protects against four strains of the flu virus, while past years’ vaccinations protected against only three. The vaccine has also been updated to better protect against the strains of virus currently circulating. “So far,” adds Dr. Javaid, “it seems like a good match against what’s actually circulating this flu season.”
— Waleed Javaid, MD, Senior Faculty, Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Infection Prevention and Control, Mount Sinai Downtown