The flu and vaccines: What you need to know
The CDC recommends vaccination as soon as vaccines are made available for the flu season, and flu shots are offered through the entire season.
Posted — Updated
Some common questions that people have about flu vaccination are: Why should I or my family be vaccinated? What should I know about the vaccine? And, Where can I be vaccinated? Here are answers to those important issues this time of year.
The flu isn't just any other illness. According to the CDC, seasonal flu-related deaths in the United States range from 3,000 to a high of nearly 49,000. And even when the flu is not the direct cause of death, it can weaken individuals and prompt other illnesses to worsen. This makes people 65 years and older at the highest risk of flu-related death, with young children and infants close behind. Even a healthy person between 6 months and 65 will spend between two and three weeks bedridden with severe cough, aches and chills, fever, and fatigue if infected with the flu virus.
There are many options for flu vaccination for the 2015-2016 season:
- Traditional
Health insurance should cover flu vaccines, though you might have to ask your insurance provider where you can get a vaccine under your plan. The typical vaccine can cost $15 and up at an average drug store.
Remember -- it’s never too early or too late to be vaccinated, and individuals 6 months and older can be vaccinated.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
