Vital Stats: 30K – Number of people who die from influenza each year. (Source: Montefiore Medical Center) 

To get ahead of the upcoming flu season, one must pre-plan. It’s a reason why experts at Montefiore Medical Center are raising awareness about the importance of the flu vaccine, which remains the best option to reduce a person’s risk of contracting the virus. The flu season can start as early as late September and usually runs for about 12 to 15 weeks. 

Infectious disease specialists have identified the flu viruses that are the most likely to cause illness this season and about 90 percent of these viruses are believed to be well-matched to the current vaccines. However, there are several important factors Americans should know about the 2014-2015 vaccine:

The new “four-strain,” or quadrivalent, vaccine is available to children and adults through fluzone inactivated single-dose syringes. This vaccine includes two strains of the more common A virus and two B virus strains. By comparison, last year’s “three-strain” flu vaccine (two A strains and one B strain) reduced the risk of flu-associated medical visits from Influenza A viruses by one half and from the less severe Influenza B viruses by two-thirds for most of the population.

The egg-free Flublok vaccine is available for egg-allergic patients this year.  It’s free of egg proteins, antibiotics or preservatives and is latex-free.

“We don’t yet know how severe this year’s flu season will be, but we’re preparing now to try and confront it head on,” said Dr. Brian Currie, an infectious disease specialist and vice president and medical director for research at Montefiore Medical Center.

Influenza is a serious infectious disease that can lead to severe health consequences. Even healthy people can become extremely ill from the flu and spread it to others. People who have suffered a reaction to influenza vaccination in the past and people with a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome should not be vaccinated. Healthcare professionals have also been mandated by the state to do their part by getting the flu shot, or wearing a surgical mask as an option.

Because of that, Montefiore has launched a comprehensive internal and external campaign to urge employees and members of the community to get their flu vaccines. This year marks Montefiore’s second annual “I Got My Shot” campaign, the goal of which is to have 100 percent of associates receive a flu shot. The vaccine is now being offered at Montefiore locations across the Bronx and Westchester, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for the shot to become effective.