Time For A Flu Shot

Here comes the flu during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yakima Health District officials say while they wait for a vaccine for COVID-19 they know the flu vaccine is effective in keeping people from getting sick. District spokeswoman Lillian Bravo says the flu vaccine will be widely available within the next two weeks all around the community. She says they expect a lot of confusion with people who may think they have COVID-19 and not the flu the reason they're pushing the need for a flu shot.

UW Medicine’s Dr. John Lynch, medical director of infection control at Harborview Medical Center, says the more people who are protected the better for the entire community...it's called "herd immunity." He says "The more people who get vaccinated, the more of a shield there is against the virus from getting into the community." The severity and length of any flu season are unpredictable so he says as soon as a shot is available, especially this year get the shot.