Special to the Enquirer  

 Montgomery – The Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Hospital Association, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama are encouraging Alabamians to get a flu shot with the No Time for Flu campaign. Helpful information and additional resources to help stop the spread of the flu can be found on the No Time for Flu website at https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/flu/campaign.html.  

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone six months and older get a flu vaccination as early as possible, preferably in September or October; however, getting vaccinated anytime during the flu season can provide protection as the vaccine can help reduce the risk of flu and associated hospitalizations and deaths.  

 Some facts according to the CDC: 

• One person with the flu can infect other people one day before any symptoms develop, and up to approximately seven days after a person becomes sick.  
• The virus can spread to others up to six feet away, mainly when people cough, sneeze or talk.   
• The flu causes U.S. employees to miss approximately 17 million workdays at an estimated $7 billion a year in sick days and lost productivity. 
• The latest information available from the CDC regarding the effectiveness of the flu is from 2019-2020 when the vaccine was estimated to have prevented approximately 6,300 deaths. 

 The statewide organizations also want to remind the public that simple hygiene efforts, such as washing your hands, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and staying home when you’re sick can also help protect against the flu. 

To learn more about flu prevention and for other helpful resources go to https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/flu/campaign.html. For additional questions about the flu, please contact your physician.