Help prevent the spread of flu and other respiratory illness:
Mask Up: Cover your nose and mouth with a mask when out in public.
Lather Up: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
Sleeve Up: Roll up your sleeve to get a flu shot.
This season, getting a flu vaccination is more important than ever to reduce the risk of flu for yourself, your family, and the community. When we and our neighbors get a flu shot, we’re helping to reduce the burden of flu illness on the healthcare system and to save medical resources for those who are exposed to COVID-19.
The flu, COVID-19, and the common cold are all contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Because COVID-19 and the flu have symptoms in common—like fever, chills, cough, aches, sore throat, and fatigue—it may be difficult to tell them apart without a diagnostic test. Use this Coronavirus Self-Checker from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help you decide when to seek testing and medical treatment.
By getting a flu shot now, you and your family have a better chance of avoiding flu altogether, especially while both flu and COVID-19 are spreading in the community. While COVID-19 is the more concerning illness, seasonal flu is nothing to sneeze at and a flu shot can make a big difference. By CDC estimates, last fall and winter, flu vaccination prevented 7.5 million flu illnesses, 3.7 million flu medical visits, 105,000 flu hospitalizations, and 6,300 flu deaths.
In addition to getting a flu shot, you can help protect yourself and those you care about by continuing to wear a mask correctly, washing your hands thoroughly and frequently, and maintaining social distance as much as you can.
CDC recommends an annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older. Young children, pregnant women, people 65 years and older, and people with certain chronic health conditions are among those at high risk for flu complications.
#FightFlu #FluVaccine #MaskUp #LatherUp #SleeveUp