Go get your flu vaccine. Doctor’s can’t say it enough. Flu season is from September to May, and doctors say it’s not too late for the flu shot.
According to the Oklahoma State Department of health, so far this season, Oklahoma has had over 1700 cases of the flu, and 56 deaths.
“We encourage the patients, the personnel, anyone to get vaccinated on a yearly basis,” said Dr. Megha Patel. “The immunization, or the amount of time that your body has to actually be immune to a virus or a disease, in this case that flu vaccine, goes down over time.”
Dr. Patel, from the Lawton Community Health Center, says even if you do get the flu later, it can help with the severity of the symptoms.
“They might experience a sore throat, a runny nose, kind of like the common cold. It’s based on a virus,” Dr. Patel.”They might have some back pain, some joint pain. And you might get some fevers as well.”
There are some things you can do to help prevent the flu, besides getting vaccinated.
“Hand washing is great because obviously you’re washing off the germs or the bacteria that have collected throughout the day.,” Dr. Patel. “And then another thing is to stay very hydrated, and get some rest.”
Like any illness, Dr. Patel advises people to be cautious around others who may have the flu.