What months constitute flu season?
Flu season is counted (for statistical purposes) as starting with first week of October and then continuing until the following end of September. However, when flu starts circulating in state in a given year can vary widely from year to year. It usually peaks between January and March.
Do you foresee an unusually active flu season for the area?
Predicting the severity of an influenza season ahead of time is very difficult. Given that the public is mostly no longer adhering to preventive practices for COVID-19, which also kept flu rates lower (like masking and social distancing), many experts are concerned and predict that this flu season will be more severe than the two most recent ones we've seen.
Which flu strain does the vaccine cover?
It covers two types of influenza type A and two types of influenza type B, which is four strains total.
Is there a waiting period between taking the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine?
No, there is no waiting period between getting the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, CDC has explicitly said that it is fine to get both vaccines on the same day/appointment.
How would you answer someone who worries about a negative interaction between the flu and COVID vaccines?
If they are concerned, people can always speak to their personal physician and get his/her advice, but CDC and other experts say there is no contraindication to receiving both vaccines at the same visit.
What are the flu numbers so far for Miller County?
We don't typically release numbers for individual counties, as reporting is not mandatory and therefore we never know for sure that a lack of or few reports really indicates an accurate number.
Source: Arkansas Department of Health