If you’ve gotten your flu shot already, great job! You’re much better protected against getting the flu this flu season. And if you still haven’t gotten your yearly flu shot yet, there’s no time to waste! Protecting yourself against the flu is vital to your health, as well as the health of those around you, and as we approach peak flu season you’re more likely than before to catch the flu.

In fact, the CDC says this year’s flu season will be more severe than last year’s — and only getting worse. More and more states are seeing heavy flu activity, with the Northwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic being the most affected regions so far. Flu season typically peaks sometime between December and February each year, and flu outbreaks can even be seen well into March. This is why it’s so important to get your flu shot as soon as possible, if you haven’t already. Your body takes about two weeks to become protected from the flu after receiving the flu shot, which means if you got yours today you wouldn’t be protected until late January. The longer you wait to get a flu shot, the more likely you are to catch the flu this flu season.

To find out if the flu is affecting your area yet, you can monitor the CDC’s weekly influenza map. But no matter where you live, it’s important to take certain precautions during flu season:

• Get your flu shot at soon as possible.
• Wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Avoid interaction with those who you know to be sick, and urge them to stay home from work or school and seek medical attention if needed.
• Keep commonly used surfaces such as door handles clean and disinfected, and place hand sanitizer in easily accessible locations.

For more detailed and up-to-date flu information, including flu activity, hospitalizations and mortalities, you can visit the CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report. If your area is seeing high levels of flu activity, you are more at risk of catching it yourself.

If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, get one today at AFC Urgent Care Stoneham, no appointment necessary. And if you think you have the flu, be sure to visit us for help getting better. Our walk-in urgent care center gives you the care you need, when you need it this flu season — with none of the hassle of waiting for a lengthy and expensive primary care appointment.