Media Contact: Jackie Shelton
(775) 772-6543 | jackie@estiponagroup.com

November 30, 2020 (Reno, Nev.) – As college students and family members head home for the holidays, an important item on their to-do list should be to immediately get a flu vaccine (if they haven’t already done so). Current pandemic guidelines recommend limiting social contact beyond our own households, which creates even more responsibility for everyone to protect each other.

“The flu vaccine protects the person getting it, but it also protects anyone they’re around, including the people with whom they share a home and those they work with,” says Immunize Nevada Executive Director Heidi Parker. “While this is always important, the COVID pandemic makes it even more so.”

Many of the symptoms for flu and COVID-19 are similar, and both could mean hospitalization or even death. More people getting their flu vaccine translates to less illness and fewer people using scarce medical resources that are critical for COVID-19 patients.

Another reason to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible? It might be hard to find.

“Demand is high this year, so we’re recommending that people call first to make sure they have it in stock,” Parker says. “And they might have to call more than one location, but it’s absolutely worth the effort.”

Flu vaccine can be obtained from healthcare professionals, community clinics, health departments, retailers, pharmacies and student health centers. A comprehensive list of vaccination locations can be found at https://immunizenevada.org/community/where-go.

Flu vaccines have been given to millions of Americans for more than 50 years, and research shows that people who get the flu vaccine are less likely to get the flu. Federal, state and local health experts recommend that everyone 6 months of age and older get the flu vaccine every year.

Information on the flu and the flu vaccine can be found at www.nvflufighter.org. For more information about Immunize Nevada and its mission to ensure that people across Nevada can access vaccines, healthcare, and other resources they need to stay healthy, visit www.immunizenevada.org.

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