Spread Holiday Cheer and Not Germs -- 12.7.2011
COLUMBUS PUBLIC HEALTH – Press Release
FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2011
Spread Holiday Cheer and not Germs. Get a flu shot!
Flu Shots are the Best Way to Protect the Entire Family for a Healthy and Safe Holiday
As you make all your holiday plans, make sure you add one more thing to your checklist – a seasonal flu shot. Getting a flu shot now – before you travel or spend time with your family -- is the best way to make sure you spread holiday cheer and not germs this year.
For a healthy and safe holiday, it is important to get a flu shot as soon as possible because it takes two weeks for your body to build immunity, just in time for the family visits.
“A flu shot protects not only the person getting it, but other family members as well,” says Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Teresa Long. “By getting a flu shot, you can also help protect grandma and grandpa, a new baby who is too young to get a shot, a diabetic aunt or a cousin dealing with an unexpected illness,” she says.
A seasonal flu shot helps prevent influenza, a serious respiratory illness that can lead to serious complications and death. Every year on average, 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications and more than 36,000 people die.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly seasonal flu shot for everyone over the age of 6 months to protect from the flu. While everyone should get vaccinated each year, a shot is especially important for people older than 65, pregnant women, household contacts of babies less than 6-months-old and people with chronic conditions because they are all at higher risk for serious flu complications.
Dr. Long points out flu vaccines are widely available through private providers’ offices, health department clinics and retail pharmacy outlets. “It is a busy time of year, but you can even get a flu shot while you’re doing your grocery shopping or running other errands.”
For more information on seasonal flu shots, visit cdc.gov, flu.gov or Columbus Public Health at publichealth.columbus.gov or visit us on Facebook and Twitter.