Getting a flu shot should be as much a part of your fall activities as pumpkin picking and trick-or-treating! The flu is a highly communicable disease that can range from a mild inconvenience to a life-threatening situation. Vaccinations protect the individual and the public from life threatening, preventable diseases. Healthy individuals, as well as the most vulnerable, benefit from vaccinations because you never know with whom you know come into contact. Health care providers, patients, families, and caretakers benefit from becoming immunized; and registered nurses have a responsibility in advocating for necessary vaccines throughout an individuals’ health care continuum. There are plenty of ways to get vaccinated. Most insurers cover it as a preventive treatment, and Medicare covers the shot entirely. Most drugstore clinics, supermarkets and urgent care centers have the vaccines available, so you can do this virtually any time that is convenient to you. Stay healthy so you can enjoy all the festivities of fall and winter.
