Washington County Public Health says getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever during the 2020-2021 season to protect yourself and those around you from the flu, and help reduce the strain on healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public Health Administrator Danielle Pettit-Majewski recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone six months and older, and while it does not prevent COVID-19, the vaccine will reduce the burden of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths, and help conserve scarce medical resources for the care of those with COVID-19, “We want to make sure that we reduce our disease burden on our healthcare systems as much as possible so by getting that flu shot and trying to reduce the influenza activity, that will also help ensure that we have hospital beds for those who need them for other things.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that last season, fewer than half of Americans got a flu vaccine and at least 410,000 people were hospitalized with the flu. Pettit-Majewski says you can help reduce that burden by scheduling a flu shot with your healthcare provider, public health, or at a participating pharmacy.