Iowa had a severe influenza season last year with 271 deaths, twice as many as the year before. This year the Centers for Disease Control recommended getting flu vaccines in October. Washington County Public Health Nurse Lynn Fisher says vaccines are recommended to help prevent contracting the virus, or decreasing its severity. She says if you haven’t had a vaccine yet, there’s still time to do so because the peak of flu season is usually in February, “We still give a lot of flu vaccines in December and January. It won’t be too late if you miss the October deadline.” It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to fully build immunity in your system.

At this time, influenza activity is low and sporadic in Iowa according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Last week, there were five influenza-related hospitalizations reported and there was one school that had 10% or greater absence due to illness. Also, cover your coughs, clean your hands frequently, and contain illness by staying home when you’re sick.