Now is the right time to get your flu shot, Central Valley doctor says

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's time to say goodbye to the summer sun and hello to the feeling of falling. That's why doctors are urging people to get their flu shots, especially for their kids.

"This is the time when the schools have just opened, and they are going to be exposed to the virus," said Dr. Rishika Sharma, a pediatrician of 12 years. "If one kid comes in to school with the virus that is not vaccinated, they're going to be spreading it to a lot more people."

The flu season is between the late fall to early spring.

Dr. Sharma, a board certified pediatrician in the Central Valley, says that people should get their flu shot between now and October.

"So the vaccine starts acting in the body," said Dr. Sharma, "and you have full immunity by November to December."

The CDC reports, in 2022 - 2023, there were 31 million cases of the flu, which resulted in 360,000 hospitalizations, and 21,000 deaths.

She says flu cases peak around December to January, but their impact can be lessened with action.

"This is something which is preventable," said Dr. Sharma. "Influenza is the seventh cause for vaccine preventable infections in the United States."

Dr. Sharma works at Kaweah Health and Adventist Health and also sees patients at her own clinic.

She tells Action News she's seen an increase in flu cases, especially in the pediatric ICU.

"All the more reason for those children to get that vaccine, especially children and elderly people," said Dr. Sharma. "That's the age group where we see higher risk of complications."

She says through people getting their flu shots, the overall incidence of illness will go down, hospital wait times will decrease and more kids won't be missing school.

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