As we gear up for the big social events of the holiday season, now is the time to think about getting vaccinated to build up your immunity.
“I generally tell people to get the immunization as soon as it becomes available to them,” said Dr. Briton Woods, a family medicine provider at Intermountain'sCreekside Clinic in Kaysville.
Dr. Woods said when it comes to vaccines, taking care of one patient also helps take care of their family.
“All of us have people in our lives who may be a little bit more susceptible to a severe infection from influenza or COVID-19 or RSV. You know, we may feel like we're likely to skip right through one of these infections, and that may be the case. But you likely know someone else in our life, maybe a grandparent, or you know, a friend or family member who has a certain medical condition that may weaken their heart or their lungs. These people can become much more severely ill,” said Woods.
You may have a strategy for getting a COVID booster and a flu shot at different times. That can be fine, but Dr. Woods says it's not necessary.
“It's perfectly safe to get your flu shot and your COVID-19 booster at the same visit. And I can't see a real reason why it would be unsafe to receive an RSV vaccine as well,” said Woods.
Unlike the other two, RSV vaccines are recommended for a more select group at greater risk of severe illness.
“All adults age 75 and older, should consider getting this vaccine, and adults age 60 to 74 who have certain high risk conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease and a few others would be that would put them at increased risk of becoming more severely ill should also consider having that vaccine,” said Woods.
Along with vaccines, doctors also recommend to continue good hygiene habits such as regular hand washing and sanitizing.
Click here for more information on Intermountain’s flu clinics. You can also visit germwatch.com to find out what’s going around in your area.
