Flu season arrived in Virginia, people urged to get vaccinated

Virginia – The flu season has arrived in Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Health has already received multiple cases of the virus in recent weeks.

While flu activity is still low across the country, health officials are recommending vaccinations for everyone six months and older.

“It is very likely we will see more influenza cases in the US and in our local community. We are already seeing that. In our area, we have almost a thousand cases since September and actually five hundred cases in the last week,” Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Dr. Anthony Baffoe-Bonnie said.

According to the doctor, vaccination is extremely important for the very young, the elderly, and those who are immunocompromised.

The flu season in 2020–2021 was unusually mild.

On the other hand, Baffoe-Bonnie is expecting a busier season this year.

“That could be as a result of the fact that we have loosened our guard in terms of masking and social distancing. Also, it’s very likely that because our previous influenza seasons were mild we’ve lost some of that immunity,” Baffoe-Bonnie said.

Getting the flu vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time is safe. For a list of flu vaccination clinics near you, click here.