WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Oct. 22, 2021) – Johnson County Community Health Services (JCCHS) is offering walk-in flu vaccines every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for those 65 and older, and anyone age 6 months and older from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
A yearly flu vaccine is the first step in prevention from the flu. Anyone 6 months or older should get an annual vaccine to help protect themselves. It is not only important to reduce the risk of catching the flu, but can also help conserve potentially scarce health care resources.
The best way to protect against flu and its potentially serious complications is with a flu vaccine. CDC recommends that almost everyone 6 months and older get a seasonal flu vaccine each year, ideally by the end of October. Flu vaccination is especially important for people 65 years and older because they are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications. Flu vaccines are updated each season to keep up with changing viruses.
Everyone is welcome to stop by during the posted hours, no appointment necessary. Flu shots are free to those who qualify. Please bring your insurance card with you, and JCCHS staff will bill your private insurance.
The CDC states the key reasons for getting a flu vaccine. These include:
- Flu vaccination prevents illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths.
- Flu vaccination also is an important preventive tool for people with chronic health conditions. For example flu vaccination has been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events among people with heart disease.
- Vaccinating pregnant women helps protect them from flu illness and hospitalization, and also has been shown to help protect the baby from flu infection for several months after birth, before the baby can be vaccinated.
- While some people who get vaccinated still get sick, flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness.
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