National Influenza Vaccination Week is Dec. 6-12

Lincoln — If you’re older than 6 months and haven’t yet received a flu shot, it’s not too late — and never, due to the pandemic, has it been more important. Since COVID-19 and flu could spread simultaneously this winter, flu vaccines will be an important aid in preserving hospital capacity until COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. Get your flu shot until you can get your COVID-19 vaccine.

National Influenza Vaccination Week, which is being observed December 6th to 12th, is a nationwide call to action to encourage those who have not already done so to get their annual flu shot. Every year, flu is responsible for millions of illnesses, tens of thousands of hospitalizations, and thousands of deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that during the 2019-2020 flu season, vaccinations prevented 7.52 million illnesses, 3.69 million medical visits, 105,00o hospitalizations and 6,300 deaths due to influenza. Last flu season, 9 out of 10 adults hospitalized with flu had at least one reported underlying medical condition.

If you are living with certain chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or asthma, you are at higher risk of developing serious complications from flu, like pneumonia, bronchitis, and other illnesses that can lead to hospitalization or even death.

Flu vaccination is recommended to protect you from severe flu-related illness and help keep your chronic condition under control.