It still may be hotter than you know what, but whatever the weather, October is the month to get a flu shot — so if you haven’t, there’s still time.
The flu can be serious. Slightly more than a century ago, 675,000 Americans were stricken with, and died from, the so-called Spanish flu. Worldwide, 500 million were stricken with influenza. Hospitals began caring for patients in tents, schools closed, church was called off, and spitting on the sidewalk in some cities were jail-able offenses. Funerals were banned in some cities, causing families to prop caskets in front windows so mourners could walk past to pay their respects.
Last year’s flu season was moderately severe. Eighty-thousand Americans — from infants to oldsters — died. This is slightly better than the previous year’s season, but at 21 weeks, last year’s flu season was the longest in a decade, according to the CDC.
