Marathon County Health Department. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — So much emphasis has been placed on the COVID-19 vaccine this summer, but soon you’ll start to hear calls for another important vaccination from health officials.
“Just like every other year, we will encourage individuals to get their flu shot,” said Aaron Ruff with the Marathon County Health Department. “It’s a great opportunity to protect yourself from influenza.”
Ruff says getting the flu vaccine is just as important as getting the COVID-19 vaccine. “There’s going to be a lot of opportunities at various flu clinics and your local healthcare provider to get both of those [shots].”
He adds that while breakthrough cases of both diseases do happen, getting shots for both will greatly decrease the severity of your symptoms and keep you out of the hospital. That’s especially important considering many hospitals are beginning to stretch thin on capacity as cases of COVID-19 have gone up in the area.
“It’s unfortunate but it’s the reality. The pandemic isn’t over yet. We are approaching 600 active cases of COVID-19 as I speak right now on Thursday,” said Ruff. “About a month ago we were at 58 cases.
“We still encourage people to go get vaccinated. It really is the best tool to help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death,” he added.
Since the Pfizer vaccine was granted full approval from the FDA, Ruff says the county has seen a steady increase in demand for the shots. As of Thursday, 47.4% of residents in the county were considered to be fully vaccinated against the disease. He adds that even as demand increases, there’s plenty of shots to go around.
“The supply is strong. All of our local healthcare providers have vaccines available as do our pharmacies. We still have the community vaccination clinic at Northcentral Technical College on Tuesdays and Fridays. The supply is ample, and there’s still plenty of time to get it,” he added.
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