Flu season passes peak, but doctors still advise precautions

Written by Abraham Galvan on January 7, 2026

In Miami-Dade County, the flu season is currently running through its peak, and health officials advise the public to follow preparedness and preventive guidelines.

Like any other respiratory illness, those who are starting to feel sick should try to keep away from other people, wear a mask, and constantly wash their hands, said Dr. Hany Atallah, the chief medical officer at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

“The flu in particular has cooled off a little bit, but RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is still pretty high,” he told Miami Today. “Most of the time, a patient with the flu is fine and can go home and rest, get some sleep, and make sure they stay hydrated. When the volume is higher, for whatever reason, we really focus on efficiency and our processes to get folks treated as quickly and safely as possible.”

The most vulnerable are typically the very young and the very old, and those who have a lot of chronic medical problems, Dr. Atallah said.

“If you have patients who are on immunosuppressants for whatever reason or have other complex medical problems, those people are obviously more at risk,” he added. “The flu season starts in October and really goes through about April, and it could get bad in some cases. Every year, there are people in the country who die from influenza, so we have to be careful about how we’re evaluating patients and taking care of them.”

According to weekly Florida Flu Review reports from the Florida Health Department, eight people visited an emergency room in Florida with flu or flu-like illnesses since the start of the flu season in late October, with five of those visits coming during the week of Dec. 7 to 13.

Annual vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others from potentially severe complications from flu. Flu shots take up to two weeks to become fully effective, so it’s important to get vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce your chances of getting the flu this season, the Florida Health Department recommended in its weekly report.

The CDC recommends antiviral treatment be initiated as soon as possible for people with confirmed or suspected flu who are at higher risk for complications, such as children, seniors, pregnant women, and people with underlying medical conditions. Treatment should be administered within 48 hours of illness onset, the report said.

“The key is if you do have the flu and you’re otherwise healthy and can recover at home, really try to stay away from other people in your house wherever possible,” Dr. Atallah advised. “Wash your hands, and if you can wear a mask, that would be great because that really helps prevent the spread of flu to others who are around.”