Fight Flu
Tulare County residents are urged to get their flu vaccinations this year from the county public health office, doctor’s office, or pharmacies. Getting an annual flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your family from flu and its complications. The vaccination can reduce flu illness and prevent flu-related hospitalizations, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school.
Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that produces fever, chills, sore throat, muscle aches, and cough lasting a week or more, and can be complicated by pneumonia, a serious condition that can cause inflammation of the lungs.
According to the CDC, flu is the 8th leading cause of death in the United States. Vaccination is recommended for everyone over the age of six months. Vaccinations can be lifesaving for children and for those at high risk for complicated influenza. Flu vaccines have been updated to match circulating viruses.
These groups of persons are at high risk for complicated influenza and for them the vaccine is especially important:
- Any person with a chronic medical condition that requires frequent medical attention such as asthma, diabetes, chronic lung or liver disease, and many others
- Pregnant women
- Any person who will have contact with an infant less than 6 months of age during the influenza season
- Children under the age of five
- Adults aged 55 years and older
It is very important for healthcare workers be immunized to protect themselves and their patients. For monthly flu clinic schedules, please check www.tchhsa.org/immunize/. At this time, the vaccine is widely available in the community and covered by most insurance plans.
If you experience these things, you should talk to your doctor before getting a flu shot:
- If you have an allergy to eggs
- If you have had Guillain-Barré Syndrome (a severe paralyzing illness, also called GBS)
- If you are not feeling well