As flu season peaks in January, Pennsylvania health officials are emphasizing the importance of flu prevention measures. According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, flu shots remain available and are recommended for everyone aged six months and older. The 2025–2026 flu vaccine is trivalent, targeting H1N1, H3N2, and B/Victoria strains.
Health experts urge residents to adopt prevention steps similar to those used during the pandemic. These include frequent hand washing, avoiding touching the face without washing hands, staying home when sick, and using tissues when sneezing or blowing the nose.
Flu can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these signs and symptoms:
- fever* or feeling feverish/chills
- cough
- sore throat
- runny or stuffy nose
- muscle or body aches
- headaches
- fatigue (tiredness)
- some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
*It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that flu activity is high or very high in 32 states, with over seven million infections and more than 3,000 deaths nationwide.