TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - According to the CDC, more than 30,000 people were hospitalized for the flu during the 2017-2018 flu season. Tallahassee hospitals were among the many places that felt the effects.
"January last year was when flu season really kicked off for us. Looking at that timeline, we're kind of starting to see the same trend this year," said Allison Castillo, Director of Emergency Services at Capital Medical Center. "We're starting to see a lot more people coming in with the cough, body aches, fevers, congestion, all things that are very common symptoms that people have when they have the flu."
Although we are about halfway through flu season, health care professional still recommend getting a flu shot if you haven't already done so.
"There's no deadline to get a flu shot. As long as the flu shots are available, if you haven't gotten one, it's a good idea to get one. It usually takes about two weeks for the immunity to really build up in your system," said Castillo.
It's recommended that you get a flu shot each and every year, and honestly, it doesn't feel like it's anything more than a pinch, which is a lot better than actually coming down with the sickness.
"Most commonly, we get that people are afraid of getting the flu from the flu shot. but it's so much worse to actually get the flu than any sort of immune response that your body is going to produce," said Pharmacist DJ Bryan.
Pharmacy Owner Harsh Patel said "You might be a little malaise. You can hold a mild temperature maybe until tomorrow, then it gets better. You won't even know that you got a flu shot."
Those who choose to get immunized have a small chance of catching the flu, but it'll be more bearable.
"If you've had the shot, the amount of time that you're sick and the amount of sickness that you have is going to be less. So, the duration and the severity of the illness is going to be shortened if you do have some of the flu immunity from the shot," said Castillo.
To help prevent the spread of flu, Castillo suggests that you wash your hands often, refrain from eating or drinking after someone else, and keep those who are sick away from others.
Children as young as six months can get the flu shot from their pediatrician.
Adults 18 and older can get immunizations from their doctor's office or any pharmacy.
