Fall is also Vaccine season
With the arrival of Fall, we look forward to beautiful fall foliage, breaking out that favorite cozy sweater and everything pumpkin! The kids are back in school, and as the temperature cools and daylight hours shorten, we transition to more indoor gatherings, leading to increased respiratory virus exposure and spread. The best way to keep yourself, your family and your community healthy is to stay up to date with your Fall vaccines - Flu, Covid-19 booster and for certain groups RSV.
There is a lot of misinformation and confusion surrounding vaccines these days. The five leading medical professional organizations have come together to issue clear evidence based guidelines regarding Fall vaccines for all ages. Respiratory Virus Immunization Recomendations.pdf
This year the first mRNA flu vaccine has been approved for adults 50 and over. It has been shown to be approximately 25% more effective than the standard flu vaccines now available, and is currently being tested against the high dose flu vaccine for seniors. As always, discuss with your health care provider which vaccine is right for you. The most common side effect with any of the vaccines is some redness or tenderness at the injection site. You may also have mild muscle aches, headache, fatigue or a low grade temperature for 24-48 hours after your injection. These are all signs that you have a healthy immune system that will be ready to respond quickly if you are exposed.
The Flu is not just “a bad cold”. It generally makes even healthy people feel sicker longer, and can have serious complications that can lead to hospitalization and death in high risk populations, including children < 2, adults > 65, pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses. The same can be said for Covid 19 infection. Vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing either illness at this time, but are proven to decrease the length and severity of disease if you are exposed, prevent hospitalization and death in high risk groups, and make it more difficult to spread disease to others which helps protect everyone. When you get your vaccine, you help all of us have a healthier Fall and holiday season.
The Community Well wants to help you prepare for flu season. We have partnered with Wegmans' Pharmacy to offer a flu shot clinic to our community members: Thursday, October 8 from 5-7pm. Free and open to all. To register: https://www.trumba.com/eareg.aspx?ea=Rsvp&invite=0rukbcdpswryr3fbdratwh72jhzvdewjunafcs81a9t37k330t2u
