Time to get your flu shot, because flu season is starting! According to the CDC, influenza is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. As of February 2018, there were 28 influenza-related deaths in Maine, so it can be pretty serious!
Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Millions of people get the flu every year, and hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized.
Flu Shot at Expos
This year, CHANS will be offering flu shots at the senior expo in Freeport on October 4, 2018, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Rite Aid will offer flu shots at the Seacoast Senior Expo in Kittery on October 10, 2018, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. There are many other places to get your flu shot around the state. It takes about two weeks after vaccination to be fully protected.
The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Traditional flu vaccines (called “trivalent” vaccines) are made to protect against three flu viruses; an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and an influenza B virus.
Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine.
As always, check with your doctor’s office, especially if you have allergies or other reasons you should not get a flu shot.