As fall brings school routines, cooler days, and more time together indoors, it is also time to prepare for flu season. Scheduling a flu vaccine now can help protect your health before illnesses begin disrupting classrooms, workplaces, and family gatherings.
Recent seasons have shown how much influenza’s impact can change from one year to the next. The CDC classified the 2023–2024 U.S. season as moderately severe, followed by a 2024–2025 season rated highly severe across all age groups—the first such season since 2017–2018. Those differences are a reminder to take prevention seriously every year.
New England experienced that impact firsthand. Massachusetts public health researchers found that the share of outpatient visits involving flu-like illness during 2024–2025 reached its highest peak in records dating to 2001–2002. The state also reported 10 pediatric flu deaths that season; eight of those children had not received that season’s vaccine.
In Connecticut, state figures reported by CT Insider show 4,375 flu-associated hospitalizations and 217 deaths during 2024–2025, compared with 3,703 hospitalizations and 190 deaths during 2025–2026. Although the more recent totals were lower, they still represent a substantial toll on Connecticut families.
There is no reliable way to predict exactly how the coming season will unfold. Preparing before the flu spreads widely gives families an opportunity to reduce their risk.
Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that often begins suddenly, with symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, body aches, headaches, and fatigue. Not everyone develops a fever. Most people recover, but complications can include pneumonia, inflammation of the heart or brain, and sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection. Flu can also worsen existing conditions, including asthma and heart disease. Even otherwise healthy people can become seriously ill.
Some people face a greater risk of complications, including:
- Adults age 65 and older.
- Children younger than 5, especially those younger than 2.
- Pregnant people and those within two weeks after pregnancy.
- People with chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease.
- People with weakened immune systems.
For these individuals, vaccination and early attention to symptoms are especially important.
The CDC recommends a flu vaccine every season for everyone age 6 months and older, with rare exceptions. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can help identify the appropriate vaccine for your age and health needs.
Annual vaccination matters because protection decreases over time, and circulating flu viruses change. Vaccines are reviewed and updated to address those changes. Vaccination reduces the chance of getting sick and can lessen the severity of illness if you do get the flu.
The benefits are substantial: the CDC estimates that vaccination prevented approximately 180,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths nationwide during the severe 2024–2025 season.
For most people, September or October is the recommended time to get vaccinated, ideally by the end of October. Some children ages 6 months through 8 years need two doses at least four weeks apart, depending on their vaccination history, so parents should check with their pediatrician early. Vaccination can still be helpful later in the season.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for protective antibodies to develop. A flu vaccine cannot give you the flu, although temporary side effects, such as a sore arm, fatigue, or mild aches, can occur.
Everyday precautions also help. Wash your hands, cover coughs and sneezes, improve indoor ventilation, and stay home when sick. A well-fitting mask provides additional protection, particularly in crowded indoor spaces or around people at higher risk
If flu symptoms develop, contact your healthcare provider promptly, especially if you are in a higher-risk group. Prescription antiviral medications work best when started within the first two days of symptoms, but they may still help later for people with severe illness or increased risk.
Seek immediate medical care for warning signs such as difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain, confusion, seizures, or severe dehydration. In children, additional concerns include bluish lips, difficulty waking, or no urine for eight hours. Fever or cough that improves and then returns or worsens also warrants prompt medical attention.
Make flu vaccination part of your fall plans. Contact your healthcare provider, pharmacy, or local health department to ask about appointments for yourself and your family.