It’s flu shot time. Tom Hopfensberger with the state Department of Health Services says almost everyone should be getting vaccinated against the flu. “The actual recommendations are for anyone six months through adulthood getting the flu shot on a yearly basis,” he said. It’s especially important for the elderly and pregnant women.
Hopfensberger said public health officials are always trying to dispel the myth that the flu shot can cause the flu. “We get a lot of it every year, that the flu vaccine causes the flu. That’s not a situation that can occur.” He said people may already be incubating the virus when they get there shot, or may get an intestinal illness that is commonly confused with influenza. The vaccine is widely available from public health agencies and private providers.