CDC Says This Season’s Flu Strains Will Closely Resemble Last Year’s

The Centers for Disease Control says the kinds of flu that struck last year are expected to be the same strains active this year, meaning working-age people could again be hit especially hard.

Last year the majority of flu patients going to the hospital were age 18 to 64.

“Young adults particularly aren’t likely to get vaccinated, so we’re trying to get the word out,” said Dr. Bill Schaffner, the past president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

This year also marks the first time that nasal flu spray will be preferred to shots for kids age 2 to 8: “It’s a little more effective, and should the virus mutate and change a little bit, in those young children the data shows the nasal vaccine provides broader protection,” said Schaffner.

The CDC reccomends getting vaccinated for the flu as early as October, but some doctors in Madison say they are still waiting for deliveries.