South Tabor Family Physicians wants to keep our patients healthy and informed. Following is important information regarding the 2022-2023 Influenza (flu) Season from the Oregon Health Authority.
Getting vaccinated is a safe, easy way to prevent seasonal flu, which can lead to severe health issues, missed workdays and even hospitalization in serious cases.
Anyone can get the flu and spread it to others, even if you feel healthy or have never had it before. Getting your seasonal flu vaccine every year does more than protect your own health. It also helps prevent the flu from spreading in your community and affecting young children, older people and people who already have chronic illnesses.
Preventing the flu is especially important now. COVID-19 continues to spread, and doctors and nurses need time and resources to care for COVID patients.
What’s New for 2022-2023
A few things are different for the 2022-2023 influenza (flu) season, including:
- The composition of flu vaccines has been updated.
- For the 2022-2023 flu season, there are three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older. These are Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine.
- The recommended timing of vaccination is similar to last season. For most people who need only one dose for the season, September and October are generally good times to get vaccinated. Vaccination in July and August is not recommended for most adults but can be considered for some groups. While ideally it’s recommended to get vaccinated by the end of October, it’s important to know that vaccination after October can still provide protection during the peak of flu season.