What’s Going Around: Flu shots

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Football, fall themed drinks, and sweater weather, there is a lot to love about fall. However, the flu is also s a staple of the season.

“So it’s kind of hard to predict what the season is going to bring in fall and winter,” said Kelly Pittman, Employee Health Manager at CoxHealth. “Even in a normal flu season, it’s something to take seriously. We know that the best way to prevent the flu is to be vaccinated and the best time to be be vaccinated is September and October.”

Pittman said it’s important to get the flu shot each year because it changes.

“So what happens is that the FDA and other experts do research and they basically try to best match the flu that that research indicates will be coming toward us during the upcoming season,” said Pittman.

According to the CDC, just over half of those over 6 months old got a flu shot last year.

“What I would tell them is that the flu vaccine is tried and true and there are studies out there that show that even if you do get the flu after receiving a flu vaccination, the severity of it decreases,” said Pittman.

Pittman says besides getting your flu shot, there are other things you need to do to stay healthy this fall.

“If you’re sick, stay home, and practice good hand hygiene,” said Pittman. “That’s probably the one thing that you can do to help yourself and your family is to practice good hand hygiene.”

This week at Lake Regional Health Systems, their physicians are seeing cases of upper respiratory illness, Covid-19. strep throat, seasonal allergies and outdoor recreational injuries.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com

Copyright 2023 KY3. All rights reserved.