While we don’t yet have a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, we do have a vaccine for the seasonal flu.
Getting a flu vaccine is especially important this year. State health experts warn the presence of both COVID-19 and flu could strain Washington’s health care system this fall and winter.
A flu shot will help protect your health and the health of your loved ones. It will also protect frontline workers in our community and help reduce the burden on local health care services.
Everyone aged 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine. To schedule a vaccine, call your regular health care provider or check vaccinefinder.org to find flu vaccines at clinics and pharmacies near you. Flu vaccines are free for children.
Flu is a highly contagious disease that can cause mild to severe illness, lead to hospitalization, and can even be fatal – including healthy young people. Getting a flu shot reduces your chances of getting the flu, but does not prevent other infections, including COVID-19.
Thankfully, many of the same strategies we are already using to prevent COVID-19, such as handwashing, physical distancing, staying home when sick, and wearing face coverings, are also recommended to help fight flu. So please get a flu shot and keep taking steps to protect your health and the health of our community.
For help finding a health care provider or vaccine location, and to learn more about the flu, visit www.KnockOutFlu.org.
Many traditional ways of celebrating Halloween involve contact with non-household members in large group settings. This year, it is important to plan early and identify safer alternatives to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. The Washington State Department of Health offers tips and suggestions to help protect individuals and communities.
If you may have COVID-19 or might have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities nor give out candy to trick-or-treaters. Additional guidance on Halloween and other fall and winter holidays is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
.png)