Photo for illustration. (Photo: iStock)
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NIOD) is warning South Africans to get their flu vaccinations on time, as the flu season starts earlier than usual.
The NIOD says the season already made its appearance in the week of March 9. “The flu season is declared by the NIOD’s surveillance system when the presence of the disease remains above the established threshold for two consecutive weeks.”
The NIOD says that although this year’s season started earlier than in recent years, it is similar to last year, when the season started in the week of March 24.
According to the NIOD, the 2026 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season began in the week of March 9. “The fact that the flu, as well as the RSV season, starts at the same time means that clinics can potentially expect a large number of patients with respiratory diseases at medical facilities in the coming weeks.”
Influenza A (H3N2), A (H1N1) pdm 09 and influenza B are common seasonal cold strains in humans. The majority of people with flu experience a mild illness, which usually clears up within three to seven days. “However, the virus can make people seriously ill, which can lead to hospitalization or possibly death, especially among those at high risk for serious illness or complications,” says the institute.
Vaccinations are recommended to protect people from infection and serious illness. “Ideally speaking, the vaccination should be administered before the start of the flu season, as it takes about two weeks for an adequate immune response to develop after vaccination. However, it is not too late to be vaccinated, even though the season has already started.”
The vaccination is available at pharmacies from the first week of this month. People who fall into high-risk groups for severe influenza are urgently requested to be vaccinated as soon as possible, warns the NIOD.