This year is a bit unusual because Santa Monica Primary Care had our first case of confirmed Influenza A before our flu shots came in. In the United States, influenza viruses circulate all year, but flu activity usually begins to increase in October and peaks between December and February. So now is a good time to get vaccinated!

In the Southern Hemisphere’s temperate countries (such as Australia), flu activity appears to have peaked, according the World Health Organization (WHO). In Australia, influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI) activity were slightly higher (183,331 cases and 383 deaths), than average when compared to previous years. The primary flu strains seen have been H3N2 viruses followed by influenza B.