With flu season already starting, Chicago doctors urge people to get their flu shots early

Flu season is hitting earlier this year, with hospitals already tracking cases across Chicago, about a month earlier than normal.

Medical experts across the city said, if you haven't made plans to get a flu shot yet, make those moves now.

"This flu season, we are seeing numbers that are about a month ahead of what's usual," said Dr. Michael Lin, an infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center. "It takes two weeks for the vaccine to be maximally effective, so if you're thinking about a gathering that's coming up, think about two weeks ahead of time."

Doctors said getting your flu shot early still covers through the winter months.

"A flu shot now, it's going to provide great protection for the majority of the flu season; and if we're already seeing cases, then you need protection now," said Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist at UChicago Medicine.

Lin and Landon both said an early flu doesn't necessarily mean a worse flu season.

"Having an earlier start to the flu season doesn't necessarily let us know when the peak is going to happen," Lin said.

But it does mean you should get protection earlier.

"For example, I usually get my flu shot sometime in the beginning of November, but I got mine a week and a half ago," Landon said. "Maybe we'll just see one big peak and it will come early. We don't know anything about whether it's going to be worse or better than your average season overall."

As for why flu season could be starting early, Lin said there are many factors, such as the weather, how people interact with each other, and the specific strain of the flu.

So far, there are no standout symptoms for this year's flu strain.

The Center for Forecasting & Outbreak Analytics at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released the 2026-27 Respiratory Disease Season Outlook report, expecting to see a similar combined number of peak hospitalizations due to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV as last season.

While it's still early, experts said, for now, it looks like the flu shot should offer pretty solid protection.

"We are predicting this year that there is a good match with the flu vaccine, and so we're optimistic," Lin said.

Chicago residents can get flu and COVID-19 vaccinations for free through the Chicago Department of Public Health's Immunization Clinics, as well as various pop-up vaccination events throughout the City.