Winter made an early appearance this Thanksgiving, bringing snow and cold to a large swath of the country. Cooler temperatures – a reminder to bundle up and add layers – should also be a reminder to get vaccinated against seasonal flu. Coming down with the flu is more than an inconvenience. It can result in lost work days and wages, unnecessary medical bills and, at its most extreme, life threatening complications. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pockets of the U.S. are already seeing an uptick in influenza activity.
Getting a flu shot is still the best way to protect against the flu virus, and during National Flu Vaccination Week, December 7-13, we encourage everyone to get their flu shot ahead of peak flu season, which typically begins in January.
While flu vaccination rates among U.S. adults have been on the rise in recent years, many minority adults are still not getting a yearly flu vaccine. According to the CDC, only 36 percent of African American adults and 34 percent of Latino adults were vaccinated during the 2012-2013 flu season, compared to 45 percent of white adults. While the reasons for these disparities are varied, research shows that cost, having access to a primary care source and lack of awareness about the benefits of a simple flu shot often serve as barriers to getting vaccinated.
Today, the Affordable Care Act is helping to remove many of those barriers and is emphasizing the critical role of preventive care in improving health outcomes among racial and ethnic minority populations. Thanks to the many free preventive services required by the health care law, most adults and children with insurance will not pay anything out of pocket for a flu shot – whether they’ve purchased a health plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace or elsewhere. For those who don’t have insurance, now is the perfect time for you to get covered. If you enroll in a health plan through the Marketplace by December 15, you could have coverage as soon as January 1!
The Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health is committed to raising awareness about disparities in flu vaccination rates and what can be done to close the gap. Over the past five years, OMH has demonstrated this commitment through a partnership with Walgreens, to provide flu shots to more than half a million vulnerable people across the country.
According to the CDC, everyone six months and older should get vaccinated for the flu, including pregnant women. It’s important to know that the flu vaccine cannot give you the flu. The most common side effects are a sore arm and maybe a low fever or achiness; but these symptoms go away in a few days.
If you are not sure where you can get a flu shot, check out HHS’s free vaccine finder. Senior citizens, children and people with chronic health conditions face a higher risk of experiencing complications from flu, so do your loved ones and friends a favor and talk with them about getting their flu shot. It will help more people stay healthy this winter.
Richard Washington is the Digital Media Specialist at the Office of Minority Health Resource Center.Last Edited: 02/16/2015