Flu outbreaks are already popping up in some parts of the country. NCH Healthcare said it expects to see more patients with the flu and RSV in its ICUs this flu season, and Fox 4 is looking into the common misconceptions about the flu shot.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the flu shot for anyone 6 months or older, and said it's safe to get both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time.
"If you can, do it conveniently in one visit. So whatever it takes to get both of them, go ahead and do it. If it's one visit, it's perfectly fine," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Chief Medical Adviser to President Joe Biden and the NIAID Director, said.
Across the country, clusters of flu cases are popping up.
The CDC confirmed it's looking into an outbreak of more than 500 cases among students at the University of Michigan; the biggest single outbreak so far.
Dr. Jennifer Caudle, a family physician and Associate Professor at Rowan University, said the misconception that the flu shot makes people sick often keeps them from getting it.
"If you don't feel well after the vaccine, sometimes it's merely our response to the vaccine. And also remember, it takes about two weeks for the flu shot to actually develop protectiveness in our body," Dr. Caudle said.
Flu season typically peaks between December and February, but can continue through May. An estimated 710,000 people end up in the hospital with the flu across the country each year.
