By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
RSV, influenza, and even Covid. Fall is the time that many respiratory illnesses take hold. For that reasons, health experts emphasize getting vaccinated between mid-September and mid-October. The Barton County Health Department is now offering flu vaccines, and Nursing Supervisor Lindsey Ensley said the vaccine is the best form of prevention.
“The flu vaccine cannot, scientifically, give you the flu,” she said. “What it does is it has components of the flu virus that then your immune system will recognize. It builds immunity, it builds antibodies to that virus, those components of the virus. It is our best prevention for getting the flu. Vaccine is a great preventative tool for lots of diseases.”
Side effects of the flu vaccine may include soreness of the arm, headache, body aches, and maybe even a low-grade fever. Ensley said those side-effects are merely an indication the body is fighting a foreign body and building immunity. While vaccines are not 100 percent effective in preventing diseases, they do mitigate long-term effects. The flu vaccine, in particular, is recommended for pregnant women.
“It’s strongly encouraged for them to get the flu vaccine for a couple of reasons,” Ensley said. “One, to protect them. We don’t want them to have any undue illness that they don’t need. But it also can provide a little bit of immunity to baby, and baby cannot get vaccinated until they’re six months old. That gives that baby some protection.”
The Barton County Health Department has nearly 30 flu vaccine outreach programs planned at various businesses, schools, organizations, and Saturday evening events. Contact the health department or follow its Facebook page for more information.