Flu Season Hits Early: Experts Urge Vaccination
This year’s influenza season is making an unusually early appearance, with initial cases already detected on the West Coast as early as September. Health officials are emphasizing the importance of timely flu vaccinations.
Ryan Malosh, who leads the Immunization Division at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, noted an uptick in flu-related emergency department visits in Michigan. He advises those who have not yet received their flu shots to do so promptly. Malosh explains, “When cases are really spiking, the last thing you want to do is be caught without its protection, so it is definitely a good time to get it.” The flu vaccine requires about two weeks to effectively build up immunity in the body.
Although the flu vaccine does not guarantee complete prevention, it plays a crucial role in reducing the severity and length of illness, as well as the risks of hospitalization and death. Children, in particular, are highly susceptible. In the 2025-26 flu season, Michigan recorded over 1,600 child hospitalizations due to influenza, with 13 resulting fatalities.
Additional high-risk groups include pregnant women, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Nonetheless, even healthy adults can experience severe flu symptoms.
Dr. Adam Lauring, chief of infectious diseases at Michigan Medicine, spoke about the challenges in aligning vaccines with circulating flu variants each year. This season’s vaccine targets the H1N1 variant, which is prevalent, yet reports suggest a possible mutation that might diminish vaccine effectiveness, particularly in younger individuals. Lauring cautioned, “We don’t know yet. We won’t know until later in the season. But I think the message still is, go out and get your vaccine.”
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