Health Department urges residents to get flu vaccine

Next month marks the start of flu season, and the Tompkins County Health Department is encouraging residents to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible to help protect themselves and everyone around them.

The Health Department said in a statement earlier this month that the flu vaccine is “more important than ever during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.” Flu vaccines are available at many locations throughout the county, including pharmacies, and the Health Department is recommending that everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu this and every year.

“Getting people vaccinated for the flu is always something that we at the Health Department are working on,” said County Health Director Frank Kruppa. “Every year, we have a flu campaign to remind people to get vaccinated with their annual vaccine. And we recommend anyone 6 months or older be vaccinated for the flu because we know the flu makes people sick, severely sick, and, unfortunately, can kill some of our community members.”

While the Health Department’s 2021 flu vaccine campaign efforts have only recently begun, Kruppa said there has already been some interest from the community, particularly in getting the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time. Still, the percentage of the population, both nationally and locally, that get the flu vaccine is significantly below that of many other vaccinations, and Kruppa explained why.

“Part of it is that most other vaccines, the common ones, are mandated as part of attending school,” he said. “And so, most of us got them when we were children. And once you complete the series, you’re done. The flu vaccine is different in that each year, it is adjusted to try to address the most common strains we think we might experience during that flu season. And so, it’s an annual vaccine, and doing anything annually for us with our busy lives and everything going on is challenging.”

Kruppa said another factor is that most people that get the flu will be able to manage it themselves through things like over-the-counter medications.

“But really, what we’d like to do is make flu as infrequent as possible for those that might not be able to fight it off so well,” Kruppa said. “So, the flu shot, similar to COVID, isn’t just about the individual; it’s about protecting the broader community. And that’s why we encourage folks to do it every year.”

Flu cases in 2020 were significantly below past years’, which Kruppa said can be attributed to all the safety precautions put in place to decrease COVID-19 cases.

“But I think, as we’ve started to relax the public health guidance, some of those protections for flu that were created by COVID will go away, and we’re likely to see more flu this flu season,” Kruppa said. “So, we very much want to make sure that we’re prepared for that. And the vaccine is one of the best ways to help us do that.”

The flu vaccine, just like the COVID-19 vaccine, is especially important for elderly residents and those with pre-existing conditions, Kruppa said, as they face an increased risk of experiencing complications from the flu. In addition, battling the flu or COVID-19 could inhibit one’s ability to fight off other infections.

“You can absolutely catch both,” Kruppa said. “Anytime your body is fighting off one virus, if you introduce another, its ability to fight off that virus is going to be more difficult. And so, we want to make sure that folks aren’t getting both because your body will have a more difficult time battling.”

As flu season is approaching, the county continues to face a stark increase in COVID-19 cases due to the prevalence of the Delta variant, which Kruppa said has created significant challenges for Health Department staff.

“When case numbers spiked up a couple of weeks ago, that was big,” Kruppa said. “We did not have staffing set up to do that level of case investigation and contact tracing. The good news is we were quickly able to reallocate resources, both within the department and throughout the county, and be able to meet the need. … The team here at the Health Department has done nothing but amaze me in their ability to react and respond and do what’s best for our community.”

Kruppa said that vaccinations and the Delta variant have meant that measuring the effects of COVID-19 on the county need to be done differently, which has required many adjustments for Health Department officials.

“Case counting isn’t really the measure anymore,” Kruppa said. “Certainly, we’re watching it, and we want to understand when our case numbers go up. But really, what we’re looking for is how is our community reacting from a severity perspective? And because our community is highly vaccinated, we’re hoping that we will continue to see what we’ve already seen, … that the severity of the disease will not be as significant because we’re fully vaccinated.”

Kruppa said that the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations continues to be much lower than earlier this year, so in addition to the flu vaccine, he’s urging those who haven’t already to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“You can always choose not to be vaccinated, but as a community of people living together, we set standards to protect all of us,” he said. “And sometimes, that means doing something that I might not want to do because it’s necessary and appropriate in order to make our community as safe as it can be. So, I know it’s challenging and there’s a lot of conversation about mandates, and should we or shouldn’t we, but I think as a community, we have to start to remember that we’re looking out for each other, not just ourselves, and trying to do the best we can to keep everybody as healthy and safe as possible.”

Many of the symptoms of flu can come on suddenly and closely resemble those of COVID-19, the Health Department said in its statement earlier this month. Some of the most common symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches — all also symptoms of COVID-19. For a full list of symptoms and possible complications, visit the CDC at t.ly/3hKc.

Those interested in getting the flu shot should call their primary care provider or 2-1-1 or check with their local pharmacy. The CDC’s Vaccine Finder tool (vaccines.gov) can also help users find a flu vaccine location. At this time, the Health Department is not scheduling flu shots or other immunizations at its clinic.

If you have concerns over insurance coverage of the flu vaccine, call 2-1-1 to speak with a health insurance navigator.