Learn the best time to get your flu shot—and 5 other important facts
Get the facts—and avoid common myths—so you can avoid getting the flu this season.
Jan, 2026
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Slide 1
Flu season typically begins in October and lasts until May, though most illnesses usually occur between December and February. Each season, tens of millions of people get the flu. During the 2024-2025 flu season, there were at least 43 million confirmed flu cases, according to end of year estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite those high numbers, there remain a lot of myths and misunderstandings surrounding the flu virus.
Here are the facts about the flu, so you can stay healthy this season.
Written byChristina Donnelly.
Medically reviewed byMegan Burke, MD.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu): Flu Season. Reviewed September 20 + 10
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu): Flu Season. Reviewed September 20, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu Burden: Facts About Estimated Flu Burden. August 14, 2024.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu): Types of Influenza Viruses. Reviewed March 30, 2023.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu): Cold Versus Flu. Reviewed September 29, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu): People at Higher Risk of Flu Complications. Reviewed August 25, 2023.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu): Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine [LAIV] (The Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine). Reviewed August 25, 2022.
- Mayo Clinic. Flu shot: Your best bet for avoiding influenza. September 22, 2023.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu): Preventive Actions to Help Protect Against Flu. Reviewed March 21, 2024.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu): Flu Vaccine and People with Egg Allergies. Reviewed August 25, 2023.
- Armstrong, C. ACIP Updates Influenza Vaccination Recommendations for 2016–2017. Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(8):668-671.
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It’s a Good Time to Get Your Flu Vaccine. August 14, 2024.
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