With Thanksgiving approaching, local health officials are encouraging people to get their flu shot before family gatherings, as no one wants a side of sniffles with their stuffing.
Overton County Health Department Nursing Supervisor Megan Reeder said getting the flu shot is one of the easiest ways you can protect yourself from getting sick during Thanksgiving. Reeder said family gatherings allow for viruses like the flu to spread easily.
“When you put that many people together, obviously, you are gonna be talking, laughing, and you are gonna kind of be in closer quarters than normal,” Reeder said. “So it does make the chances better of spreading viruses, illnesses, again, because you are close and because of those respiratory droplets.”
Reeder said it is typical to see a surge in flu cases after Thanksgiving. Reeder said in most cases, people are thinking about food and football rather than being protected from the flu.
“One of the things they can do is to protect themselves with the flu shot, so that way they don’t even have to think about the flu,” Reeder said. “They can go ahead and start working now, like we said, to protect themselves.”
Reeder said the shot does not take effect immediately. Reeder said the sooner you get the flu shot, the better.
“It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the antibodies that protect against the flu to develop in the body,” Reeder said.
Reeder said people can get a flu shot at their local health department as well as various local retailers.