Your Health: Getting A Flu Vaccine
Flu season is here and is becoming more prevalent each day. Influenza viruses are known to circulate in the United States from late fall through early spring. The annual flu vaccination helps prevent the flu and severe outcomes of the flu.
The severity of influenza varies from year to year; serious consequences associated with the flu include, but is not limited to influenzarelated illness, hospitalization, and death.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the annual seasonal flu vaccine since this is the best way to help protect against flu. All persons age 6 months and older who do not have contraindications should get a flu vaccine every season.
The flu is a contagious respiratory disease that anyone can get, but the flu is more dangerous for some people. Infants and young children, people 65 years of age and older, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions or a weakened immune system are at greatest risk of flu complications.
Each year thousands of people in the United States die from flu, and many more are hospitalized. Flu symptoms include fever and chills, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, headache, and runny or stuffy nose. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing influenza during 2020-21 is more important than ever, especially since COVID-19 and influenza share many of the same signs and symptoms. Preventing influenza means fewer individuals will need to seek medical care and testing for COVID-19 and influenza. Increasing the uptake of influenza vaccination will save healthcare resources and could alleviate stress on the U.S. health care system for COVID-19 and other health conditions.
For more information about the influenza vaccine, contact City-County Health District at 701-845-8518 or your primary provider.
The influenza vaccine and other immunizations are given at the City County Health District office Monday through Friday by appointment only.
Kerry Due is a registered nurse working at the City County Health District.
Your Health is coordinated by the City County Health District.