Health officials press people to get flu shots early
The move by the officials comes as the flu season hit Australia unexpectedly early this year and officials fear that the same could happen in the US. Confirmed flu cases have historically peaked in Australia between August and September, but this year the peak came in July. As of this week, the country has confirmed 272,146 cases of the flu, making it the worst flu season in Australia's history.
The CDC hasn't finished totaling the fatalities from the 2018-19 flu season, but the 2017-18 flu was particularly deadly, killing over 80,000 people in the US.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially counts Oct. 1 as the first day of flu season in the U.S., however, two people have already died from the flu in California.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/463354-azar-other-public-health-officials-press-people-to-get-flu-shots-early