NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Getting sick when you have busy holiday plans is just the worst. Right now, flu cases are on the rise, but medical experts say there's still time to get vaccinated before Christmas.
While the CDC recommends that people get a flu shot by the end of October, getting one after that is still beneficial and will give you some protection.
Right now in Tennessee, 5% of all outpatient visits are currently for influenza-like illnesses.
The timing couldn't be worse, since families spend a lot of time together at the end of December.
Neighborhood Health, a non-profit network of health centers in Middle Tennessee, is vaccinating patients for free.
"We make the flu shot available for everyone," said Brain Haile, CEO of Neighborhood Health. "Sometimes the pharmacies say 'it's only for privately insured patients.' We don't believe that at all. We think everyone deserves protection, and we want every family taken care of."
Even babies are eligible for the flu shot if they're older than 6 months old. Small children and seniors are more likely to get very sick from the flu.
"If you get vaccinated now — you get your flu shot today — you can really cut down on the chance you find yourself in the ER, or worse as we look at 2024," Haile said.
Anyone can make an appointment at one of Neighborhood Health's 11 clinics by calling 615-227-3000.
In Tennessee, the highest number of flu cases are in Memphis, followed by Jackson and then Chattanooga. Louisiana and South Carolina have the highest flu case counts in the country.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom
