It’s time to get your flu shot. Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a yearly flu vaccine for everyone ages 6 months and older.
They want to make every effort to prevent the “twindemic” of both COVID-19 and influenza in Tennessee, in order for our residents to stay healthy and for our hospitals not to become overwhelmed. Vaccination is still the best protection we have against this serious and potentially deadly illness, and everyone should get a flu shot this year, even if you normally don’t get one.
Fewer than half of all Tennesseans receive a flu vaccine each year, even though the flu vaccine reduces the chance of hospitalization or death from flu by 40 to 60 percent.
It’s especially important for pregnant women to get flu shots to protect themselves and their unborn children, as flu is more likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women.
If everyone who can get a flu vaccine would get one, we could significantly reduce flu-related sickness, hospitalizations and deaths.
Learn more about preventing seasonal flu here.
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Beth Kinnane is community editor for KnoxTNToday.com. This information was provided by the Tennessee Department of Health.