You probably know the moment. Someone at the office starts coughing in early October, and the quiet question comes back around. Have you had your flu shot yet this year?
North Carolina has reported this flu season's first death. An adult in the central part of the state died from flu complications in the first week of October. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the death on October 8.
"This is a heartbreaking reminder of how serious the flu can be," said Dev Sangvai, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The agency urged residents to get vaccinated and to seek antiviral treatment early if symptoms appear.
Flu activity is still minimal in most states. But hospital admissions are already climbing. According to the CDC's weekly FluView, labs confirmed 3,334 flu hospital admissions in the week ending October 3, a rate that rose from the week before.
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One strain is doing almost all the damage
The 2026-27 season has an unusually clear picture of what people are catching. Of the influenza A viruses the CDC subtyped that week, 98.4 percent were H1N1pdm09, the descendant of the strain behind the 2009 pandemic.
The oldest adults are already being hit hardest. The CDC reports that people 65 and older had the highest flu hospitalization rate of any age group in the latest week.
The vaccination window is closing this month
The CDC recommends getting a flu shot by the end of October. September and October are considered the ideal window for most people. The vaccine takes about two weeks to build full protection, and flu activity typically rises through late fall and winter.
Severe flu is most common among adults 65 and older, children under 5, pregnant people, and anyone with asthma, diabetes, heart disease or obesity. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions.
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Last season was a brutal one. North Carolina alone recorded 335 flu-related deaths, including 10 children, the third-highest number of flu deaths reported in the state since 2009.
Flu and COVID-19 vaccines for 2026-27 are now available at pharmacies, doctor's offices and local health departments.
Officials also recommend seeing a clinician quickly if flu symptoms appear, since antiviral treatments work best when started within a day or two of the first signs.
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This article is made and published by Aksel Kryhlmand, who may have used AI in the preparation.