It’s time to plan a flu shot for each family member over 6 months of age.
With seasonal flu forecast to move through the population this fall and winter, and the COVID-19 pandemic still with us, public health officials are urging families to protect themselves from the flu virus.
The Seattle Visiting Nurse Association and Seattle Public Schools are offering flu-shot clinics for the public at various school sites. Six of these clinics will also offer COVID-19 vaccinations to people 12 and older. Here are the details and locations and how to sign up. Flu shots also are available at some school-based health clinics.
(If you are uninsured, don’t be spooked by the “Insurance” section of the form. Just write “no insurance.”)
Also, the CDC notes that it is OK to receive a flu vaccine and a COVID vaccine at the same time.
For other options for getting your kids and you vaccinated, look for information with your health insurance company, or check King County’s Immunization Clinic Finder or the Washington Department of Health Flu Vaccine Finder.
Kaiser Permanente has begun vaccinating its members, by appointment only. Many local retailers, including Bartell Drugs, Safeway/Albertsons and others offer flu shots — sometimes offering a coupon or other incentive to sweeten the deal.
Flu shot details
The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of six months should get their shots before the end of October. (If you don’t manage it by then, it’s still a good idea to get a flu shot. The annual flu season usually peaks around February and lingers well into the spring.) It is important to get flu shots before flu becomes widespread because it takes two weeks after the vaccination for the body to become fully protected.
In Washington, vaccines are free for children 18 and younger. The provider might charge an administration fee, but if you can’t afford it, you can ask to have it waived.
See also: Your kids still need their vaccines, even during coronavirus crisis.
