Get Ready for Flu Day: Protect Your Health and Get Your Shot

Pasco County, Fla. – September 21 is Nationwide Get Prepared for Flu Day, and well being departments in West Central Florida—Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties — strongly encourage residents older than six months of age to get their flu shot for the 2022-23 flu season. The flu vaccination is one of the simplest ways to stop the flu and its doubtlessly critical problems.

Get the Flu Shot

The vaccine is advisable for everybody six months and older, together with pregnant girls. People who’re at most danger for getting severely unwell from the flu are younger kids, pregnant girls, folks with sure continual well being circumstances like bronchial asthma, diabetes, coronary heart illness or lung illness, and other people aged 65 years and older.

It takes roughly two weeks after vaccination on your physique to develop safety towards the flu. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting a flu vaccine yearly as a result of flu viruses evolve shortly, and final 12 months’s vaccine might not defend towards the present 12 months’s strains. Even when the vaccine doesn’t absolutely defend towards the flu, it could scale back the severity of signs and the danger of problems.

The CDC reminds everybody that it’s protected to obtain your flu vaccine the identical time as your COVID-19 vaccine, making it handy to handle each on the similar time. For extra, go to: Flu Vaccine Safety Information | CDC

The place to Get the Flu Shot

Every of the Tampa Bay space county well being departments and most pharmacies and first care doctor workplaces provide flu pictures. For details about the flu and to seek out different areas to get the seasonal vaccine, go to www.FluFreeFlorida.com or name your county’s well being workplace:

Wholesome Habits to Assist Forestall Flu

Good well being habits like washing your arms may also help cease the unfold of germs and forestall respiratory diseases just like the flu. If cleaning soap and water should not obtainable, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Overlaying the mouth and nostril with a tissue when coughing or sneezing might forestall these round you from getting sick. Make it a behavior to wash and disinfect generally used surfaces in your house, faculty or workplace.

Flu vaccines and good hand hygiene are nonetheless the go-to suggestions for prevention; nevertheless, public well being officers say it is simply as necessary to include the virus, and which means staying house if you’re sick.

To be taught extra about Florida flu statistics, please go to the Division’s Florida Flu Review web site.

Concerning the Florida Division of Well being

The Division, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to guard, promote and enhance the well being of all folks in Florida via built-in state, county and group efforts.

Comply with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For extra details about the Florida Division of Well being please go to www.FloridaHealth.gov.