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It’s not too late to get your annual flu vaccine. This week is the National Influenza Vaccination Week and Washington County Public Health Nurse Lynn Fisher recommends people get their vaccines now if they haven’t already. She shared a message that is being presented by the Centers for Disease Control, “For certain groups of people, it could really reduce the risk of a serious complication to get the vaccine. They’re really wanting us to pass the message along to people that are pregnant it’s important to get a flu shot, people over 65, children under 5 years old, and persons that have a chronic condition, maybe chronic kidney disease or asthma or a lung condition. We’re really focusing on getting our message out to those groups of people that they are at a higher risk for complications from flu, and they should really be considering getting their flu shot now.”

The flu vaccine takes two weeks to build in your immune system. Fisher says it’s recommended, especially with people traveling and visiting during the holidays. Iowa has already seen four people this season die from influenza-related illnesses.