Big influenza expert says flu season knocks on our doorstep

WASHINGTON – It can be hard to believe, but the flu season is almost here. This season will follow the 2017-2018 season, one of the most lethal influenza seasons in history.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last season, more than 30,000 hospitalizations and 180 pediatric influenza-related deaths have been reported.

"At first, the virus was bad and the vaccine itself was not optimally protective," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Last year's influenza vaccine was only 25% effective against the H3N2 virus, a subtype of the virus that has infected thousands of people.

A year later, Fauci says he hopes everyone can get vaccinated by the end of October.

"And people always ask – well should I get vaccinated even if the vaccine does not protect at 95%? And the answer is always an overwhelming yes. Because it's always better to have some degree of protection than no protection at all, "Fauci said in an interview on Friday.

Anyone over six months old can be vaccinated. but the most exposed people are children, pregnant women, people with health problems such as heart and lung diseases, obesity, diabetes and the elderly.

"Even though it's rare, it's really unusual for a healthy young person to have the flu and get sick to the point of death," he said.

And that has happened at an alarming rate during the 2017-2018 season.

Some good news?

The southern hemisphere, which had a severe influenza season just ahead of the US, is enjoying a milder season this year.