News Releases > It's not too late to get a flu shot

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (Feb. 5, 2009) – If you didn’t get a flu shot yet, don’t fret. Getting vaccinated today can still help protect you and others, says Allen County Health Commissioner Dr. Deborah McMahan.

Most years, flu season doesn't peak until February or March and can run until late spring. A flu shot starts protecting in just a few weeks, so there’s till time for a flu shot to pay off if you get it now, McMahan says.

"It’s not just our most vulnerable citizens - the young, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems – who need a flu shot every year,” McMahan says.

"All of us who are able should receive a flu shot to protect ourselves and those with whom we live, work and play. We shouldn’t forget that every year people die from influenza.”

Influenza, or the "the flu," is a viral infection of the respiratory tract. The illness it causes is more severe than a common cold and can include symptoms such as a high fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, as well as muscle aches and extreme fatigue.

Most people who get the flu recover completely in a week or two, but some people develop serious and potentially life-threatening medical complications, such as pneumonia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now recommending that all children age 6 months through age 18 should receive a flu shot, along with other high-risk groups. But anyone who wants to reduce his or her risk of getting sick should get vaccinated.

Although seasonal influenza is not a reportable disease, CDC surveillance data shows regional activity for Indiana at this time.

Please contact your private physician or visit www.fighttheflu.org for a list of area flu clinics.

For more information about children’s flu vaccine, contact the health department’s Immunization Clinic at 449-7529.

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