Get yearly flu vaccine soon

    Twenty Coloradans have been hospitalized with flu since Aug. 1, about double the number of cases the state usually sees this time of year. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment urges Coloradans ages 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine, ideally before the end of October.
     “Flu is unpredictable,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy. “The increased number of cases we’re seeing doesn’t necessarily signal a more serious flu season, but it does mean the sooner you get your flu shot, the better off you’ll be.” It takes about two weeks for the vaccination to take effect.
     Here are some facts about this year’s flu vaccine:
     —The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends only injectable flu shots this year. The nasal flu vaccine (FluMist) is not recommended.
     —The CDC, as well as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recommends pregnant women get a flu vaccine during any trimester of their pregnancy. Influenza can be a more severe disease during pregnancy. Pregnant women may receive any licensed, recommended and age-appropriate flu vaccine.

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