Commentary: Will we have a severe flu season? It doesn’t need to be that way

Flu season is fast approaching. Flu shots are now available, containing strains recommended by the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee in March. Given the long lead time required to manufacture some 180 million flu shot doses, scientists are forced to make informed guesses, a daunting task under the best of circumstances.

The Southern Hemisphere has already seen its worst flu season in five years. This is not surprising,