COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is reminding residents that it is time to fight the flu.
Director of Personal Health and Disease Prevention Kali Nichols says, “An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone ages six months and up. It is an important preventative tool for people with chronic health conditions, and has also been shown to be life-saving for children who get the flu. Vaccinating pregnant women helps protect them from flu illness and hospitalization, and has been shown to help protect the baby from flu infection for several months after birth.”
Health officials say it is important to get a flu shot every year because the flu virus is constantly changing.
Flu vaccines may be updated from one season to the next to protect against the viruses that research suggests will be common during the upcoming flu season. While some people who are vaccinated still get sick, officials say flu vaccination has been shown to reduce severity of illness and reduce incidence of hospitalization.
Flu vaccine is widely available and may be fully covered by your insurance at your local pharmacy or Primary Care Provider office.
Flu shots are also available through the Community Health Agency at no cost for those with Medicaid, Medicare, and certain insurance plans.
The agency has immunization clinics on Mondays in Branch County, on Tuesdays in Hillsdale County and on Wednesdays in Hillsdale County.
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