PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island has kicked off its annual flu vaccination campaign in partnership with a number of community organizations.
Health experts recommend the flu shot for anyone older than 6 months but say the shot is especially important for some, including the very young and very old, health care workers, pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions.
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In Rhode Island last year, 1,032 people were hospitalized with the flu and 39 died.
During the 2018-2019 season, the Ocean State’s vaccination rate among adults, 56.3%, was the highest in the nation, and its children’s rate was second nationwide, at 78%.
Officials are hoping to top those numbers this year by working with groups such as the East Bay Community Action Program and East Providence Health Equity Zone.
“Why do health care providers recommend that almost everyone should get a flu shot every year? Because every year, up to 80,000 people in the U.S. die of complications from influenza,” said Dr. Sarah Fessler, East Bay Community Action Program’s chief medical officer and the 2019 Rhode Island Childhood Immunization Champion.
A list of evening flu shot clinics that are open to the public at schools across the state is available at www.health.ri.gov/flu.
“Limiting the spread of the flu by getting a flu shot is especially important if you spend time with younger children or the elderly, who are more susceptible to the effects of the flu,” said Dr. Ailis Clyne, medical director of the R.I. Department of Health’s Division of Community Health and Equity. “Even if you don’t have health insurance or can’t afford a flu shot, there are places in Rhode Island where you can get vaccinated for free, [such as] the public flu clinics that opened this week at schools across the state.”
