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HYDE-SMITH GETS FLU VACCINE, CALLS ON MISSISSIPPIANS TO DO THE SAME
Annual Flu Outbreak Will Add Pressure for Healthcare Providers Amid Ongoing Pandemic
MADISON, Miss. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) received a flu shot and encouraged fellow Mississippians to be vaccinated amid concerns that the annual influenza outbreak will place added burdens on healthcare workers and hospitals already treating COVID-19 patients.
Hyde-Smith received her annual flu shot at Walgreens in Madison in order to call attention to the availability of the flu vaccine and its importance.
“Getting a flu shot is important every year, but it is especially important this year with COVID-19. We need to make sure that we protect ourselves from the flu to keep our hospitals from getting overwhelmed this winter,” Hyde-Smith said. “I hope my fellow Mississippians will do their part to protect themselves and their communities by getting vaccinated against the flu.”
Hyde-Smith noted that while Mississippi is a national leader in childhood vaccination rates, the state ranks poorly when it comes to vaccination rates against flu for adults.
“Let’s change that this year and put Mississippi at the top for flu vaccination rates,” Hyde-Smith said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the annual flu vaccine for everyone six months and older, with rare exceptions, as an effective way to decrease flu illness, hospitalization, and death.
Flu shots are offered at no cost, with most insurance, as well as with Medicare Part B and Medicaid. They are currently available at Walgreens and other pharmacies across the state, and the Mississippi State Department of Health also notes that county health departments also provide flu shots to all children, and to qualifying adults who lack insurance coverage. Use the Walgreens Find Care function through the Walgreens app or online to find a Walgreens near you, or use the CDC Flu Shot Locator to identify other pharmacies and retail centers offering flu shots in the state.