Raleigh, North Carolina – With trends showing that flu season is arriving early again this year, Wake County health officials are urging everyone to get vaccinated.
Officials recommend now is the time to get a flu shot before cases start to rise.
Last year’s respiratory illness season started earlier than normal, resulting in 10,178 flu-related emergency room visits in Wake County alone.
That’s a 34% increase from last year’s flu season. There have been 200 flu-related deaths reported across the state, 10 of which occurred in Wake County.
“To prepare for this fall and winter virus season, we have more vaccines and treatments than ever before,” Wake County Commissioner Matt Calabria said.
“But for this defense to work, everyone needs to do their part. We strongly recommend residents get their annual flu vaccine, as well as the newer Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.
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How long is flu season?
The exact timing and length of flu season can vary, but cases typically begin to rise in mid-October and peak between December and February.
It takes about two weeks to build immunity after vaccination, which means now is the perfect time to protect yourself for upcoming gatherings and gatherings.
The vaccine is free
- Pregnant women without insurance
- Children who are eligible for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. To do this, they must be at least 19 years old and meet one of the following requirements:
- Uninsured or underinsured
- Medicaid beneficiaries
- american or alaska indian
Where to get vaccinated
Flu shots are available at almost all pharmacies, clinics, doctor’s offices, health departments, and some schools and universities.
Most of these locations will also offer newer Covid-19 vaccines as well as newer RSV vaccines when available.
Wake County Public Health is offering walk-in flu shot clinics at the Public Health Center at 10 Sunnybrook Road in Raleigh.
Clinics are scheduled for Thursdays, October 5, 12, 19, and 26 and November 2, 9, and 16 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.
No appointment is required, but interested parties can expedite their visit by filling out a registration form in advance.
The flu vaccine can be given as an injection or nasal spray.
Can the flu vaccine and Covid-19 vaccine be given together?
Yes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the new Covid-19 vaccine and other vaccines can be given at any time.
Getting both vaccines at the same time is not only safe but also convenient.
Who should get the flu vaccine?
Wake County Public Health encourages everyone to get a flu shot, especially children 5 and younger and adults 65 and older as they are at higher risk of severe illness from the virus.
They also recommend that frontline workers, caregivers, first responders and people with underlying health conditions get the flu shot.
For more information on how to get the flu shot, visit wake.gov/flu.