It’s that time of year again – time to fight the flu and get through the season illness free.
As part of its commitment to a healthier community, Riverside will offer free flu shots at the following two locations in Williamsburg on October 20:
- Doctors’ Hospital Lobby, Thursday, Oct 20, 7:30 to 11 a.m., 1500 Commonwealth Avenue
- Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex (WISC), Thursday, October 20, 1 to 4 p.m., 5700 Warhill Trail
Flu shots are available while supplies last for walk-ins on a first come, first-served basis for adults and teenagers age 14 and up.
“The flu is not something to take lightly,” Riverside Doctors’ Hospital’s Infection Control Manager Donna Duerson. “The benefits of getting a flu shot greatly outweigh the risk, and that getting a shot is not as bad as getting the flu. Even if you think you are healthy and young and not at risk for flu complications, get the shot. It's about protecting people around you who could die from the flu.”
The flu, short for influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness causes by a virus. It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year prior to flu season starting, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While the CDC reports that the flu season is unpredictable and constantly changing, with the severity and length of each season changing from year to year, flu season in the U.S. generally runs through the fall and winter.
The unknowns of the season underscore the importance to get vaccinated, the CDC reports, and take every day preventative measures to prevent spreading the virus, including staying away from sick people, washing hands frequently and staying home from work and school when sick to prevent exposing others.
Getting vaccinated before flu activity begins helps provide protection once flu season starts. It takes roughly two weeks following the vaccination for the body’s immune system to respond to provide the protection.
For more information about Riverside Health System, visit www.riversideonline.com. To learn more about this and other flu clinics from Riverside, visit www.riversideonline.com/flu.