‘Now is the time’ to get flu shot, AdventHealth physician says

October 27, 2021 — Last year the flu barely touched Central Florida while many people continued to mask and social distance as they awaited access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

But this year could be far different now fewer people are taking those precautions, Dr. Tim Hendrix, senior medial director for AdventHealth Centra Care, told WKMG anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com.”

“As those mitigation measures are loosened up, we’re going to see [flu] viruses resume their spread,” he said. “We anticipate we will definitely see the flu this year.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the exact timing and duration of the flu season varies, but influenza activity often begins to increase in October.

Hendrix said every year he sees people who say they thought about getting their flu shot, but then got busy with the holiday season. Waiting too long, he noted, might not yield the protection people will need through the winter before the flu season begins to trail off in the spring.

“The best time to get a flu shot is when you are thinking about it,” he said, noting, “now is the time.”

For more information visit, CentraCare.org