Denenberg and legislature remind residents to get flu shots before winter

Legislator Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) urges County residents to get their flu shots before flu season starts. Typically, flu season peaks in February and continues into early spring. Flu shots will be available Dec. 12 at Jewel Quinn Senior Center, 1260 Meadowbrook Road, Merrick and on Dec. 19 at Freeport Recreation Center, 130 East Merrick Road, Freeport

“There is still plenty of time this season to get your flu vaccination,” Denenberg said. “I encourage those residents aged 50 and older and those who care for, or live with, high priority groups to ask their health care providers for the vaccine.”

More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications each year in the United States, and about 36,000 die from it. Vaccination is the best protection.

The influenza vaccine is recommended for:

• All persons aged 50 and older
• Residents of long-term care facilities
• Persons aged 2 to 49 years with medical conditions that put them at risk for complications of the flu
• Children aged 6 to 59 months
• Pregnant women
• Health care workers
• Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers to all the above groups
• Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children under 6 months of age
• In addition, everyone else who wants to reduce their risk of getting influenza