Central Health to community: Get your flu shot

Public health officials across the land are desperately trying to publicize the unhappy fact that the highly contagious influenza virus and the highly contagious virus that causes Covid-19 will be spreading at the same time as the seasons change and cooler temps arrive. Both flu and Covid spread through the air via droplets that are expelled when we talk, sing, cough or sneeze. The symptoms of both viruses are also similar. Fortunately, there is something we can do to lessen the risk of getting sick – get a flu shot. Dr. Alan Schalscha, chief medical officer for CommUnityCare Health Centers, said in a news release, “Getting a flu vaccine has never been more important. A severe flu season in the midst of a deadly coronavirus pandemic could overwhelm our health care system. Flu vaccines and face masks are two proven defenses that all of us need to embrace, especially as people start gathering indoors during the fall and winter and during the holiday season.” CommUnityCare will be preparing about 30,000 vaccines in the coming weeks for its patients – a number based on last season’s total vaccinations. Central Health President & CEO Mike Geeslin added, “We’ve come so far slowing the spread of Covid-19, now is not the time to let down our guard. All of us need to get a flu vaccine and (continue to) practice healthy habits meaning always wearing a mask in public, washing our hands often, and avoiding crowded indoor gatherings. Protecting yourself, your family and our entire community could give hospitals the space they may need to treat patients with coronavirus when we experience another surge.”