No matter who we call family, when we choose to get the influenza (flu) vaccine, we’re protecting them. That’s especially true for those who are at higher risk for a bad case of the flu, like children, older people, and those with underlying risk factors like heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes. Get your flu immunization as soon as possible – and make sure your loved ones get theirs, too. Here are more reasons why you should:
Catching the flu can weaken your ability to fight off COVID-19.
A flu shot is clinically proven to reduce your chances of hospitalization.
Flu shots are quick and administered with COVID safety precautions.
Other health conditions that put people at higher risk for flu complications
Neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions
Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
Liver disorders
Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
People who are obese with a body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher
People with a weakened immune system due to disease (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or some cancers such as leukemia) or medications (such as those receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer, or persons with chronic conditions requiring chronic corticosteroids or other drugs that suppress the immune system)
People who have had a stroke
People with certain disabilities—especially those who may have trouble with muscle function, lung function, or difficulty coughing, swallowing, or clearing fluids from their airways.
