DPH urges All Georgians to get a Flu Shot

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has a message for Georgians: Everyone needs a flu shot.  All Georgians over the age of six months are urged to get a flu shot this year, says DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey.  “Now more than ever, influenza vaccination is critical not only to protect people from getting sick but to reduce the burden on our healthcare system already caring for COVID-19 patients.  Even if the vaccine doesn’t prevent illness from flu completely, it can help reduce the severity and risk of serious complications and keep people out of the hospital during this COVID-19 pandemic.”  Influenza and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Flu and COVID-19 share many characteristics, including fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle pain or body aches and headaches, and vomiting and diarrhea, more common in children than adults.  Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis.  Both the flu and COVID-19 spread in similar ways. Droplets or smaller virus particles from a sick person can transmit the virus to other people nearby. The smallest particles may linger in the air, and another person can inhale them and become infected.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting an annual flu shot by the end of October. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body.