According to the Centers for Disease Control, the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against influenza (flu) is to get a flu vaccine every flu season.
Furthermore, it’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both spread this fall and winter. Healthcare systems could be overwhelmed treating both patients with flu and patients with COVID-19. This means getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 is more important than ever!
When Should You Get Vaccinated?
- You should get a flu vaccine by the end of October every year. However, as long as flu viruses are circulating, vaccination should continue throughout flu season, even in January or later.
- Flu is a contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, or even death. CDC recommends everyone six months and older get an annual flu vaccine. For children under two years of age, 2 doses are needed for protection.
What are some key reasons to get a flu vaccine?
- Flu vaccine has been shown to reduce flu illnesses, hospitalization, and even death in children.
- Approximately 49 percent of the US population chose to get a flu vaccine during the 2018-2019 flu season, and this prevented an estimated 4.4 million flu illnesses, more than the population Los Angeles; 58,000 flu hospitalizations, about the number of students at Ohio State University; and 3,500 flu deaths, equivalent to saving about 10 lives per day over the course of a year.
- Flu vaccination also is an important preventive tool for people with chronic health conditions.
- Vaccinating pregnant women helps protect them from flu illness and hospitalization, and also has been shown to help protect the baby from flu infection for several months after birth, before the baby can be vaccinated.
- A 2017 study showed that flu vaccine can be life-saving in children.
- While some people who get vaccinated still get sick, flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness.
Where Can I Get the Flu Vaccine?
Flu vaccines are offered in many doctors’ offices and clinics. Flu vaccine is available in many other locations, including health departments, pharmacies, urgent care clinics, health centers, and travel clinics. Vaccines may also be offered at your school, college health center, or workplace.
To receive the Flu Vaccine for you and your family, you can also call the
Will County Community Health Center at 815-727-8670!