Sunday, October 02, 2016

Texas Influenza Awareness Day

Yesterday, October 1st, was Texas Influenza Awareness Day.  Have you gotten your flu shot yet?

Many people do not think it is important to get the flu shot because they have weathered the flu without too much trouble, but not everyone can.  Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those who have chronic health conditions like asthma face serious threats from the flu and often catch it from people who think they do not need to worry because they are not in those groups.  More than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to the flu in the U.S. each year and the number of hospitalizations is growing.  When you fail to get the flu shot, you not only increase your own health risk, but you seriously increase the health risks for every child, elderly person, pregnant person and person with a chronic condition with whom you come into contact.

Research has shown that the nasal mist flu vaccine has not proven effective with the strains of flu that are now most common, so be sure to get the shot instead (it is also less safe for people with chronic conditions like asthma or who are otherwise immunosuppressed and so was never recommended for them) .  

There is still time to get the flu shot and have it take effect before flu season takes hold in Texas this year!  It is important so please hurry!

Get yours this week and keep Texas safe from influenza!

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