Flu Season is Here!

A Message from Jennifer Mullendore, MD, Buncombe County Medical Director –

As Medical Director for Buncombe County Health and Human Services, I urge you to get your flu vaccine.

Getting the flu vaccine is the most important step in keeping you healthy and out of the doctor’s office. It can also keep your child from missing school and becoming very sick.

Some people are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill from the flu – infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with chronic health conditions (like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.) However, the flu can be serious, even for very healthy people.

Last flu season three people in Buncombe County died as a result of the flu. This is why the CDC recommends that everyone six months of age and older get a flu vaccine every flu season.

Even if you have never had the flu you should get the flu vaccine. Flu vaccines are like seatbelts or car seats, preventive measures to protect you and your loved ones from serious injury or death. And, even though this year’s flu shot is not a perfect match for all of the strains of flu we are seeing, it is still the best defense against the flu!

It can take two weeks after getting the flu vaccine for it to be effective. That’s why it’s important to get vaccinated before we begin seeing many cases of flu in our community, which means NOW.

Don’t like needles? No worries! There is a nasal spray version of the flu vaccine available for healthy, non-pregnant persons 2-49 years of age.

Wishing You a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season, Jennifer Mullendore, MD

We want you to have the information you need to protect yourself and your family. Call the Immunization Clinic at (828) 250-5096 if you have questions about the flu vaccine.

Buncombe County Health and Human Services
40 Coxe Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 250-5000, www.BuncombeCounty.org/HHS