Health Officials Urge Residents to Get Vaccinated

Friday, October 6th, 2023 -- 3:00 PM

(Eric Lagatta, USA Today) Fall has arrived, which means many people are starting to think about getting their annual influenza vaccines and COVID-19 boosters.

According to Eric Lagatta with USA Today, maybe you've seen ads about getting up to date on both your shots ahead of flu season, with one campaign featuring Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and wondered when you should make that appointment.

You might even wonder if it's safe to get both the COVID vaccine and flu shot at the same time. Experts warn that getting properly vaccinated against respiratory viruses ahead of the cold months is critical, especially on the heels of a late-summer uptick in COVID-19 infections.

Both shots are now available. Also available is a vaccine for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). The world's first RSV vaccine was approved in May by the Food and Drug Administration to protect adults 60 and older from the worst symptoms of the common respiratory virus, which infects the lungs and breathing passages.

It takes about two weeks after getting the shots for our bodies to build enough antibodies to protect us from the viruses. That's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people start thinking now about getting vaccines before the end of October as cases of respiratory viruses ramp up.

The flu shot is recommended for most adults and children over 6 months old.

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