Flu Season Is Here — Early. Be Aware. Be Prepared.

It is the second week of September, and flu has already walked through the doors of both of our clinics. Positive tests, this week. That is early. Flu in our area usually does not pick up until October and does not peak until December through February. This year is not waiting for the calendar.

So here is the plan, in two words: be aware, and be prepared.

Be aware: this follows a hard winter

Last season, Illinois flu activity reached “very high,” the top level on the CDC’s scale, for the first time since 2009–10. By late January the Illinois Department of Public Health had counted at least 100 flu deaths and 414 ICU admissions statewide. Nationally, the CDC reports that 191 children died of flu during the 2025–26 season — one of the worst pediatric tolls on record. The driver was a new strain of influenza A called H3N2 subclade K that last year’s vaccine did not match well.

If your family felt it, here is the good news: this year’s shot has been updated for exactly that strain. And it is sitting in our refrigerators at both clinics right now.

Be prepared: this week, not November

A flu shot takes about two weeks to build full protection. With flu already circulating, every week you wait is a week you are exposed without it. Getting vaccinated now means you are covered before the virus moves through classrooms, offices, and Thanksgiving tables — not two weeks after.

Kids are the reason most families see flu early. School has been in session for three weeks. What one child brings home, the whole house tends to get.

What’s different about this year’s vaccine

All three strains in the 2026–27 flu vaccine were updated from last year, including the H3N2 component, which now targets the subclade K virus that spread so widely last season. It is the closest match we have had to what is actually circulating in two years.

Who should get a flu shot

Everyone 6 months and older, every year. It matters most for:

• Children, especially those under 5
• Adults 65 and older
• Anyone who is pregnant
• People with asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or a weakened immune system
• Anyone who lives with or cares for someone in the groups above

If you are not sure whether the shot is right for you or your child, ask us at the visit. That is what we are here for.

Your flu prep checklist

• Flu shots for everyone in the house, this week. One visit, all ages, walk in.
• Know the signs. Flu is sudden: fever, chills, body aches, and a child who was fine at breakfast and flat on the couch by lunch. A cold creeps in; flu hits.
• Stock the basics now. Thermometer, fluids, fever reducer, and a plan for who stays home.
• Know where to go. Both clinics, 7 days a week, no appointment. Save our numbers below in your phone today.

Already feeling it? Don’t wait it out

Flu comes on fast: fever, body aches, chills, cough, and exhaustion that hits within hours, not days. If that sounds like you or your child, come in. We run rapid flu testing on site, so you get an answer during the visit. If it is flu, antiviral medication works best when started within the first 48 hours of symptoms — which is why waiting “to see if it gets better” is the one thing not to do. More on symptoms, testing and treatment is in our flu FAQ.

How it works at Vitality

• Walk in, no appointment. Both clinics are open 7 days a week.
• Flu shots for the whole family in one visit, adults and kids.
• Rapid flu, strep, RSV and COVID testing on site.
• Most insurance accepted. Bring your card; flu shots are covered under most plans. Self-pay pricing is on our prices page.

Two locations, one team:

• Buffalo Grove — 56 W Dundee Rd · 224.601.5001
• Lake Zurich — 480 S Rand Rd · 847.350.1291

Flu season is here. Be aware. Be prepared

By Rodion Levin, FNP-C, Medical Director · Published September 09, 2026

Care When You Need It Most

Walk in when you need us. Book ahead if you prefer. Our doors are open.

🕒 Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year

Buffalo Grove: 56 W Dundee Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Mon-Fri: 8 AM - 8 PM | Sa -Sun: 8 AM - 4 PM

Lake Zurich: 480 S Rand Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047
Mon-Fri: 8 AM - 8 PM | Sat-Sun: 8 AM - 4 PM

JUST WALK-IN or Book Your Visit Online