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Under blue skies and blazing temperatures of 89 degrees, the DeKalb County Health Council set up a flu vaccine clinic at the Northlake Mall on Friday. From noon to 6 pm, one car after another stopped at the clinic, with the drivers and passengers vaccinated and en route in just five minutes.
Of course, he can still feel like summer. And technically, the fall may not start before two weeks, but that does not mean it's too early to start thinking about the next influenza season. This is particularly true after the severe flu epidemic of 2017-18 that claimed the lives of 150 people in Georgia, including five children.
Claudina Prince, a registered nurse on the DeKalb County Board of Health, is preparing a flu shot for Tom Keating. HYOSUB SHIN / [email protected]
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Tom Keating, 76, of Decatur, was at a nearby meeting when he decided to take advantage of the easy way to get vaccinated outside the Northlake Mall.
"I'm glad the weather is nice and people are helpful," said Keating, who congratulated the county, which offers flu shots at its county health centers, for setting up the clinic. He never even needed to get out of his car.
Driving shots were convenient but not necessarily free. They cost $ 35 for standard vaccines and $ 65 for high-dose vaccines for people aged 65 and over. Most insurance plans however cover flu shots.
Ebonee Gresham (center) and Claudina Prince, both registered nurses on the DeKalb County Board of Health, are preparing a flu shot for Decatur's Tom Keating (left). HYOSUB SHIN / [email protected]
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Experts say the time has come to get the flu shot. The Public Health Department of Georgia has stated that it has already received reports of influenza cases in the state although there is still no specific case of an outbreak.
Public health officials say that all people 6 months and older should receive a flu shot before the end of October – it is better to get vaccinated sooner than that, because it takes about two weeks to influenza. According to experts, getting vaccinated before the flu season is in full swing.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine has also been adapted to the approach of the influenza season in the hope of targeting the strains that will probably circulate this year. Nasal spray flu vaccines have also been reformulated and are again recommended for the 2018-2019 influenza season. However, the nasal spray is only recommended for non-pregnant women and for people aged 2 to 49 years.
Every year, on average, 5 to 20 percent of the US population gets the flu, tens of thousands of people are hospitalized, and thousands of people die from influenza-related illnesses. According to the CDC, this costs about $ 10.4 billion a year in direct medical costs and an additional $ 16.3 billion in lost revenue.
Here, there have been record hospitalizations for influenza in the Atlanta metropolitan area during the influenza season – more than 3,000 hospitalizations. There were also 150 deaths, including five children, in Georgia. A year earlier, there were half as many hospitalizations in the Atlanta subway and nine influenza-related deaths in the state.
MORE: A return on the nightmarish season of last season
It is impossible to predict how bad the flu season will be this year. Public health officials say influenza viruses are constantly changing, with Georgia Public Health spokesman Nancy Nydam saying, "The only predictable thing about the flu
"It is essential that everyone understands that our best protection is a seasonal flu vaccine, which is now available and can help mitigate the severity of this season," said Dr. Andi Shane, Medical Director of Epidemiology hospital in Atlanta.
Even if you do not get an influenza vaccine before the end of October, experts say it's never too late to get one at any time during the flu season.
The CDC said it could not predict whether this season's vaccine would be particularly suitable for circulating viruses, but experts believe that even though a particular batch of influenza vaccines offers less than ideal protection, some protection is still better. Influenza activity tends to increase in October and November and generally peaks between December and February.
Those who pass the vaccine may have doubts about skipping this year. According to a new online survey by CVS Pharmacy, about one in five people who did not receive the vaccine last season said they were more likely to be vaccinated because the last influenza season was very serious. Harris Poll in July. About 2,000 American adults were interviewed.
According to the survey, among parents whose children are under 18 and who were not vaccinated last year, 26% said their children would be vaccinated this year.
MORE: What you need to know if you have the flu
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