With flu season here, health officials urge communities of color to get vaccinated
A flu vaccine clinic is seen at a public health clinic during influenza vaccination campaigns in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in this September 11, 2016, file photo. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
(Newser) – The flu season is officially here, bringing with it concerns of complications and death. In fact, flu can be deadly to humans, and the virus has been spreading around the country in droves, thanks to a combination of the Internet and people who are unvaccinated, reports USA Today. The article notes that there are many public health officials who are calling on communities of color to get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the 2017-2018 flu season the “greatest” in a decade, with deaths expected to reach more than 300,000 worldwide.
According to the report, some medical groups are also recommending non-pharmaceutical flu shots to mitigate the disease’s severity. According to the CDC, some vaccine recipients may have a temporary increase in their risk of complications, and health professionals are recommending that people who have no risk factors or pre-existing health conditions get vaccinated. For those who receive flu shots every year, the CDC notes that more recent shots are less likely to contain any live flu virus.
A man holds a mask during a flu vaccination campaign at a street in Tokyo, during the annual flu season, in this February 5, 2016, file photo. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)
A man holds his smartphone during a flu vaccination campaign at a street in Tokyo, during the annual flu season, in this February 5, 2016, file photo. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)
A man holds a mask during a flu vaccination campaign at a street in Tokyo, during the annual flu season, in this February 5, 2016, file photo. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)
A man holds a mask during a flu vaccination campaign at a street in Tokyo, during the annual flu season, in this February 5, 2016, file photo. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)
A woman puts her hands in front