It’s flu season and Fargo Cass Public Health is providing walk in flu vaccine clinics

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness that infects the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness and can also lead to death.

“We had a really high, I want to say, 280 infant deaths last year due to influenza. So we really want to try to avoid that this year,” said Rachael Johnson, Nurse Manager at Fargo Cass Public Health.

In Cass County, there have been seven cases of the flu for the year, with 21 hospitalizations in the state. To prevent the illness, Fargo Cass Public Health is leading two separate clinics for anyone to walk in and receive a flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We just want to protect the community. There’s people that cannot get a flu shot due to age, due to diagnosis, something that they can’t prevent. So if we can all get the flu shot to protect ourselves and the community members, that would be very beneficial,” said Johnson.

Flu vaccines are recommended to be taken once every year. The reasoning, a person’s immune protection declines over time, and the virus is constantly changing. This year’s influenza vaccine is designed to protect against three different influenza viruses. Those include two influenza A viruses and an influenza B virus.

“We need two weeks for the flu shot to take its full effect. And so we focus on the month of October, some into November, and December because the flu season does go all the way through into March of the following year,” said Johnson.

While flu shots do not prevent the illness in its entirety, it does reduce its severity.

The next flu clinic will be open at Fargo Cass Public Health on the 31st from 7:30 to 12:30.