In 2023, nearly one million people were hospitalized and more than 75,000 people died from COVID-19. During the same year, 44,000 people died from flu complications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the best way to reduce your risk of contracting these illnesses is by getting vaccinated.
The CDC recommends everyone ages 6 months and older receive updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 and flu vaccines to protect against potentially serious outcomes. Vaccination is especially important for those 65 and older, those with compromised immune systems and those living in extended care facilities.
Updated COVID-19 vaccines will be available from Moderna, Novavax, and Pfizer, and the CDC says these vaccines are safe and appropriate whether or not someone has previously ever been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine.
Columbus Regional Health primary care offices are fully stocked with the flu vaccine. Supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine continue arriving. Some offices are prioritized in receiving shipments based on their patient populations.
CRH officials recommend calling your primary care office, the Bartholomew County Health Department, or a local pharmacy to check on availability. Don't have a primary care provider? Contact WellConnect, and one of our Connection Specialists would be happy to assist you in finding a provider, and even making your first appointment.
Extensive research continues to support the safety of seasonal vaccines and shows the importance of vaccination to protect against severe outcomes of COVID-19 and flu, including hospitalization and death.
The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, and the flu is always changing and protection from vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated vaccine can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States.
Updated 2024-2025 flu vaccines will all be trivalent and will protect against an H1N1, H3N2 and a B/Victoria lineage virus.
For more information on updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines, visit Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | CDC and Seasonal Flu Vaccines | CDC.
To find a location near you that carries the vaccine and to schedule an appointment, go to www.vaccines.gov.