County encourages residents to get flu shots
The coronavirus has made the vaccine more important than ever.
(Graphic by Solano News Update)
Health officials in Solano County are urging residents to get a flu shot this year, even if they typically skip out on the shot.
The flu vaccine is more important this year than ever because of the possibility of getting a co-infection of influenza and the novel coronavirus COVID-19, health officials said.
The message comes a week after the first co-infection of influenza and COVID-19 in the United States was diagnosed in Solano County.
“A flu vaccination is part of a public health strategy to reduce the burden of flu, reduce your chance of getting flu, and also to preserve health care resources for care of patients with COVID-19,” the county said in a newsletter sent to residents this week.
Most pharmacies and doctor’s offices are equipped to distribute the flu vaccine to patients. The shots are typically provided for little payment, and in most cases are free with insurance, including Medi-Cal.
Some pharmacies located inside grocery stores also offer free flu shots, and a handful even offer perks like gift cards for customers who receive one in-store.
“Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization and death,” county officials said. “Getting a flu vaccine can also save healthcare resources for the care of patients with COVID-19.”
Everyone is urged to get a flu shot this year — even people who are otherwise healthy or feel like they don’t need one. The county said certain high risk groups should prioritize getting a flu shot, including:
People over the age of 65;
Pregnant women;
Children under the age of 5;
Black and LatinX individuals;
Caregivers;
Health care workers; and
People with underlying health conditions.
People should get flu shots as soon as possible because it takes a few weeks for the body to build up its immunity defense against the virus, health officials said.
In California, flu activity typically begins to increase around Thanksgiving and is sustained until the end of winter.
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