Now is the time to get your flu shot.

Experts say don't wait. 

Sarah Boden

Influenza season started early this year, and Americans are advised to get their flu shots now, even in the parts of the United States where activity is currently low.

Nearly 5,000 lab-confirmed influenza hospitalizations were reported nationwide during the week ending October 17, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

This is the highest early-season hospital rate for mid-October since the 2010-11 flu season, said Anna Durbin, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Immunization Research, during today's media briefing. 

Early cases seem driven by an H1N1 variant, a type of influenza A, for which data suggest this year's vaccine is an incomplete match. Even so, the vaccine can prevent severe illness.

Preliminary CDC estimates find that up to 81,000 US residents died of flu-related illness from October 1, 2025, through May 23, 2026.

Additionally, the shot protects against two other flu viruses: another influenza A strain and a B lineage flu virus. Both are expected to circulate widely later this respiratory virus season. 

Because the vaccine works best before flu activity starts, people should get it as soon as possible, said Andrew Pekosz, PhD, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Response.

"This [moment] should be viewed as a good last call," he said.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I got my COVID and flu shots at CVS in Westerly on October 23. As a determined PRO-vaxxer, I get whatever shots are available to ward off life-threatening illness. I made an advance appointment and was seen exactly at the time of that appointment. I was too early in the season to get the new mRNA-based flu shot. That will have to wait until next year. In the past, the mRNA COVID vaccine has caused me to undergo a day-after reaction where I feel sick for a couple of hours. But for the second year in a row, I had no negative after-effects. I have never had COVID and no flu or RSV since getting the shots.   - Will Collette

New mRNA vaccine might lead to better flu shots

People who are 50 and older have the option of getting an mRNA flu shot, which has an excellent safety profile and performed better in clinical trials than the standard vaccine, said Durbin. 

Though it's difficult to know right now how many people have gotten it so far, Durbin and other researchers are monitoring the mRNA shot for real-world effectiveness. The Food and Drug Administration approved the shot in August, so this flu season will be its first test.

"We have high hopes," she said, adding that preliminary data on how the mRNA vaccine performs should emerge in December or January. 

The flu mutates quickly, which creates a moving target for vaccine makers, who base each season's vaccine on experts' educated guesses about which strains will be dominant. Those decisions are made at least six months before the flu season begins.

An advantage of mRNA vaccines is that they can be made faster. This could hypothetically let scientists decide which strains to prioritize closer to the start of flu season. The shorter window might lead to a more effective vaccine, because it would give the virus less time to mutate.

Don't forget COVID and RSV

While getting the flu shot, eligible people should also consider getting the COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines. Both vaccines are good matches for the viruses circulating right now, said Pekosz.

All three shots can be given at the same time.

The CDC recommends the COVID shot for adults 18 and older, as well as children ages 6 months through 17 years who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. However, in contrast to the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children from 6 months through 2 years get the COVID vaccine. 

For children age 2 and older who are not at increased risk of severe COVID-19, the AAP says that physicians should still offer a single dose of the 2026-27 COVID-19 vaccine if the parent or guardian desires it. The CDC also supports shared decision-making for this group. 

For RSV, adults 75 years or older are advised to get it, as well as adults as young as 50 if they are at increased risk of severe RSV illness. 

In addition to vaccination, Pekosz advised buying over-the-counter test kits for these viruses. It's also a good idea to check which local pharmacies stock prescription antiviral drugs for flu and COVID.

"The trick is you have to get those antivirals relatively soon after you're symptomatic," he said.