People should get a flu vaccine every year for optimal protection against flu.

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older with rare exception. The reason for this is that a person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual vaccination is needed to get the “optimal” or best protection against the flu. Additionally, flu viruses are constantly changing, so the vaccine composition is reviewed each year and updated as needed.

• Flu vaccination is especially important for people 65 years and older because they are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications.

• While flu seasons vary in severity, during most seasons, people 65 years and older bear the greatest burden of severe flu disease.

• CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) preferentially recommend the use of higher dose flu vaccines (including high-dose inactivated and recombinant) or adjuvanted inactivated flu vaccine over standard- dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines for people 65 years and older.

• CDC recommends prompt flu antiviral treatment for people who have flu or suspected flu and who are at higher risk of serious flu complications, such as people 65 years and older.

Take time to get a flu vaccine

• Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, especially people at higher risk.

• CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important action in reducing your risk of flu and its potentially serious outcomes.

• For 2025-2026 flu season, CDC recommends seasonal flu vaccination for children, pregnant women, and adults with only single-dose formulations of flu vaccine that are free of thimerosal as a preservative.

• Flu vaccines help to reduce the burden of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths on the health care system each year.

• Flu vaccination also has been shown to reduce the severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.

• All flu vaccines are designed to protect against three influenza viruses

• Everyone 6 months and older should get an annual flu vaccine, ideally by the end of October but people should continue to get vaccinated as long as flu viruses pose a threat to their community.

• Vaccination of people at higher risk of developing serious flu complications is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.

• People at higher risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with certain chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease, and people 65 years and older.

• Vaccination also is important for health care workers and other people who live with or care for people at higher risk of serious flu illness to keep from spreading flu to them. This is especially true for people who work in long-term care facilities, which are home to many of the people most vulnerable to flu.

• Children younger than 6 months are at higher risk of serious flu illness but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for infants should be vaccinated instead.

• Health care providers can support patients in making informed decisions about vaccinations.

The Barry County Health Department has the following vaccines available Monday through Thursday from 7:30am to 5:30pm as a walk-in service. Due to high demand, please call 417-847-2114 to verify availability and cost: Flulaval Trivalent, Fluarix Trivalent, Flublok Trivalent and Fluzone High Dose

Publisher’s note: This article is courtesy of Barry County Health Department, located at 90 Barry County Drive in Cassville. The Department may be reached at 417-847-2114.