WASHBURN COUNTY -- The Washburn County Health Department is reminding everyone 6 months of age and older to get vaccinated against influenza. Flu season typically peaks between December and March, but can continue as late as May. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop the protective antibodies, so it’s important to get your flu shot as soon as possible.
For millions of people every season, the flu means a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, fatigue, and miserable days spent in bed. Millions of people get sick, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu each year.
Some people are at high risk for serious flu-related complications that can lead to hospitalization and even death. People at high risk include pregnant women, children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old, people 65 year of age and older, and people who have certain medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. Vaccinating pregnant woman helps protect them from flu illness and hospitalization, and also has been shown to help protect the baby from flu infection for several months after birth, before the baby can be vaccinated. Flu vaccination has also been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events, such as a heart attack, among people with heart disease, especially among those who had had a cardiac event in the 12 months prior to flu vaccination.
For those at high risk of serious flu complications, getting a flu vaccine is especially important. It’s also important to get the vaccine if you care for anyone at high risk, including children younger than 6 months who are too young to get a flu vaccine.
For more information contact the Washburn County Health Dept. at 715-635-4400 or visit https://cdc.gov/flu
Last Update: Nov 30, 2018 10:34 am CST
