By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
With the holiday season and winter entirely upon us, health officials are reminding everyone that The flu and COVID don’t take the holidays off. This is the time of year when family and friends gather to celebrate, and often spread germs while doing it. Jessica Hancock-Allen with the Minnesota Health Department says it’s not too late to get vaccinated. She adds getting vaccinated doesn’t cause illnesses, however:
“You can have a little bit of an uptick in an immune response. Which is your body seeing the vaccine and saying whoop — we better get to work making some cells to fight off this disease if we see it in the future. And that’s totally normal.” – Jessica Hancock-Allen with the Minnesota Health Department, audio courtesy of the Minnesota News Network.
The best time to get vaccinated is before the flu spreads widely in your community. It takes about two weeks for the body to respond to the vaccine, so getting it now means a person should reach complete immunity before the typical peak of the flu season, between December and February.
Rice County Public Health offers flu vaccine at its weekly immunization clinics, held every Tuesday between 1 and 4 p.m. at the Rice County Government Services Building, 320 Third St. NW, Faribault. No appointment is needed. Both trivalent and high-dose flu vaccines are available. The vaccine is also available for anyone who is uninsured.
Several Pharmacies in Northfield also offer free Flu Shots with an Insurance Card, including Cub Foods, Target, and Walgreens. Click on the links to find out more information and schedule an appointment:
