Flu Shot: Where To Get Vaccine In Illinois

ILLINOIS — It’s once again time to get yourself and your family vaccinated against the flu. As the 2018-19 flu season approaches, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has started reminding the public to get flu shots. The CDC’s recommendations state that everyone six months or older should get a flu vaccine annually.

The CDC said the vaccine is needed every flu season for the following reasons:

1. The body’s immune response from vaccination declines over time
2. Flu viruses are constantly changing

The vaccine takes about two weeks to go into effect. The flu shot can keep people from getting sick with the flu and it is shown to reduce the severity of illness in those who get vaccinated but still get sick. For children, the CDC says the vaccine can be life-saving and reduces the risk for hospitalization. (Click here to see the full benefits of getting the vaccine.)

People should ideally get their flu shots by the end of October but the vaccine continues to be offered as long as the flu is circulating and vaccines are available. The CDC also reiterates that it is still worthwhile to get the vaccine after October. Children who require two doses of the vaccine should start the process sooner rather than later because the two doses need to be given at least four weeks apart, the CDC says. Children under six months are too young to get the flu shot.

The CDC also provides guidance for those who shouldn’t get a flu shot as well as for people who should talk to their doctors before getting a flu shot. The agency also has resources on special considerations regarding egg allergies and the flu shot.

Flu season was particularly harsh last fall and winter, when 53 children died from the illness nationwide and 9 children died in Illinois. Statewide, more than 2,200 people in Illinois were admitted to ICUs due to flu or flu-like illness between October 2017 and May 2018.

To find a clinic near you offering the flu vaccine, you can enter your zip code or city below:

>>> Read more on the CDC’s flu vaccine recommendations here.

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