The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age six months and older receive a flu vaccine each year! You should get a flu vaccine before flu viruses begins spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu.
Influenza and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses caused by viruses that can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The signs and symptoms of the flu and COVID-19 are very similar. Seasonal flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, congestion, or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms of COVID-19 include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Flu vaccinations are now available at the clinics in Madelia, Truman and Lake Crystal, with no appointment necessary. You may want to call for an appointment to avoid waiting though. Flu shots can also be given during a regular clinic visit.
CLINICS in Madelia, Lake Crystal, and Truman:
Patients can receive flu shots from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at all of our clinic locations. The clinic in Madelia is also open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays. No appointment is needed, but call ahead to avoid wait times. Vaccinations can also be given during regular clinic appointments.
LAKE CRYSTAL PHARMACY – 210 S. Main St.
Patients can receive flu shots from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. No appointment is needed. The pharmacy will also do on-site shots for businesses. Call the pharmacy for more information.
Getting a flu shot prevents you from passing the virus to people in high-risk populations like babies, pregnant women, elderly people, and people who have chronic diseases. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that everyone six months of age and older get vaccinated every flu season. Preventing flu is always important, but in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important to do everything possible to reduce illnesses and preserve scarce health care resources.
