With the flu season quickly approaching, Smith's Food & Drug Pharmacy is encouraging customers to prioritize their health and well-being by getting their flu, COVID-19 or RSV vaccine ahead of the peak flu season.
Smith's Pharmacist Jayme Garcia joined us with why it's important to get the vaccinations.
She says influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat and lungs and could lead to serious illness, hospitalization or even death.
Flu symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, congestion, runny nose, headaches, and fatigue. People may also experience: dehydration, loss of appetite, or sweating, nasal congestion, runny nose, or sneezing.
Other common symptoms are chest discomfort, head congestion, nausea, shortness of breath, sore throat, or swollen lymph nodes.
Jayme says flu vaccines are recommended because they cause antibodies to develop in the body, which provide protection against infection.
Flu vaccines are fully protective about two weeks after vaccination.
CDC recommends that most people get their flu shot in September or October, so now is the time!
When it comes to COVID shots, Jayme explained that the updated vaccine is no longer a booster.
It's a new formulation of the vaccine and is developed every year to match circulating COVID variants, similar to how the flu vaccine is reformulated annually.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like
symptoms.
Although most people recover in a week or two, infants and older adults are more
likely to develop serious RSV and need hospitalization.
An RSV vaccine, which adults only need to get once, is recommended for people 75 and older or those ages 50 to 74 with chronic illnesses.
You can receive all of these vaccines (flu, COVID-19, and RSV) and others including pneumonia and shingles at the same time.
Smith's offers walk-in flu shots in their pharmacies, and you can also make an appointment and complete registration online prior to your visit.
For more information go to smithsfoodanddrug.com/flu.
Smith's also has an incentive for rolling up your sleeve. Jayme says when you get a flu sot at Smith's Pharmacy, you'll get $5 off your groceries. If you get flu plus another vaccine, you'll get $20 off your groceries. That's for every member of your family!
