![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/75084110007-p-6-flushot-090324.jpg\"\/)
![\"play\"](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/appservices\/universal-web\/universal\/icons\/icon-play-alt-white.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
CDC panel votes against mercury-based preservative in flu shots<\/p>\n
CDC panel, reshaped by RFK Jr., rejects thimerosal flu shots and backs RSV drug amid resignations, expert criticism and procedural concerns.<\/p>\n
Straight Arrow News – June 27, 2025<\/p>\n
With flu season right around the corner, now\u2019s the best time to receive the flu vaccine<\/a>, experts say.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe flu vaccine is one of the most important things that people can do to protect themselves as the winter months approach,\u201d says Dr. Roy Gulick<\/a>, the Chief of Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. It\u2019s estimated that the United States sees around 10 million to 40 million<\/a> cases of the flu each year, he says.<\/p>\n Who should prioritize receiving the flu vaccine, and how long will it protect you against the flu<\/a>? We asked the experts to answer your flu shot FAQs.<\/p>\n What does the flu vaccine protect against?<\/p>\n The flu vaccine changes yearly, containing strains of the influenza virus \u201cthat are predicted to be the most serious in the United States and the northern hemisphere,\u201d says Gulick. This year, experts have identified three strains of influenza<\/a> \u2013 two strains of influenza A, and one strain of influenza B \u2013 that will be incorporated into this year\u2019s vaccine, he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe flu shot stimulates our immune system to better recognize the flu virus, and to be able to neutralize it or kill it,\u201d explains Gulick. The shot will lower your risk of getting the flu if you come in contact with the virus. But if you\u2019re vaccinated and do happen to catch the flu, the shot reduces the severity of your symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t received the vaccine, your body\u2019s \u201cdefense system isn’t ready, so the virus has time to grow and cause symptoms (that) can make you sicker,\u201d says Dr. Natalie Cameron<\/a>, an instructor of medicine at Northwestern Medicine. Receiving the flu shot vastly lowers your risk of flu-related complications, including pneumonia, hospitalization and in severe cases, death. According to the CDC<\/a>, there are approximately 500,000 flu-related hospitalizations each year, resulting in around 25,000 deaths, says Gulick.\u00a0<\/p>\n Who should receive the flu vaccine?<\/p>\n The CDC currently recommends<\/a> that everyone over the age of six months receive an annual flu vaccine (though there are a few rare exceptions). \u201cIn reality, less than half of U.S. adults end up receiving it,\u201d says Gulick.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyone with an increased risk of flu-related complications should be sure to receive the flu vaccine, he says. This includes people over the age of 65, children under the age of 2, pregnant people and those who live with certain chronic illnesses (such as diabetes, cancer, HIV, heart disease, lung disease<\/a>, liver disease or kidney disease).<\/p>\n