Rhode Island Department Of Health Kicks Off Flu Vaccine Campaign

The Rhode Island Department of Health kicked off its annual flu vaccine campaign on Thursday, highlighting the dangers of the disease and encouraging all Rhode Islanders to get immunized. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention urge everyone older than 6 months get the shot before the end of the month.

Dr. Ailis Clyne, the medical director of RIDOH’s division of community health and equity, said that getting a flu shot every year is the best way to protect yourself and others. Vaccines were available to everyone at the kickoff event.

"Limiting the spread of the flu by getting a flu shot is especially important if you spend time with younger children or the elderly, who are more susceptible to the effects of the flu," Clyne said. "Flu shots are safe, effective, and easy to get in cities and towns across Rhode Island! Even if you don’t have health insurance or can’t afford a flu shot, there are places in Rhode Island where you can get vaccinated for free, like the public flu clinics that opened this week at schools across the state."

While flu shots are important for all Rhode Islanders, certain groups are especially susceptible to the flu. It's extra important for the elderly, healthcare workers, young children, pregnant women and those with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes to get vaccinated, RIDOH said in a release.

To many, getting the flu doesn't seem like a serious risk. Just last year, the disease sent 1,032 Rhode Island residents to the hospital, killing 39.

"Why do healthcare providers recommend that almost everyone should get a flu shot every year? Because every year, up to 80,000 people In the United States die of complications of influenza," said Dr. Sarah Fessler, the 2019 Rhode Island Childhood Immunization Champion and chief medical officer at the East Providence Health Equity Zone. "Influenza is a preventable disease, and your best protection is the flu shot."

Rhode Island is a national leader in immunization. According to the health department, the state was the first in the nation among adults during last year's flu season with a 56.3 percent vaccination rate. The state was second in the nation for children at 78 percent.

This week, Rhode Island was named the third-most vaccinated state in the country, based on more than a dozen metrics.

A list of upcoming flu clinics is available on the department of health's website. Flu shots are also available at pharmacies, doctor's offices and at community clinics. After getting the shot, some people will get a slight fever and achy feeling, which is just the body developing an immune response to the virus. These symptoms are less than that of the actual illness. There is no way to get the flu from the vaccine, the department said.

Here are some tips to stay healthy this flu season.

• Wash your hands often throughout the day. Use warm water and soap. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand gel.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow. Flu is spread through coughing or sneezing on other people or into your hands. Cover your coughs and sneezes to prevent others from getting sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods.
• Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant.

More information on the flu is available on the Department of Health's website. A Spanish-language version is also available.