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CDC, AMA working with Ad Council to stress importance of flu vaccines amid pandemic

Posted at 4:16 PM, Oct 06, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-07 14:29:47-04

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association are working with the Ad Council to educate people about the flu vaccine, particularly in communities of color.

“I understand. As an African American physician, I understand some of the mistrust and distrust,” said Dr. Patrice Harris with the American Medical Association.

CDC data shows not enough people get the flu shot.

People die unnecessarily and unvaccinated African Americans have twice the hospitalization rate due to flu.

“And when we consider other things like diabetes, heart and lung disease, asthma and other conditions that can get exasperated in the presence of the flu, it’s particularly protective for people with those conditions,” said Dr. Leandris Liburd, CDC Associate Director for Minority Health.

There's more than 50 years of data on the safety of the flu vaccine.

There is the potential now for a “twindemic.”

“And so, by taking care of our health, we are saying we care about our family members, our community members and we are taking care of their health as well,” said Harris.

The CDC anticipates delivering nearly 200 million flu vaccine doses.

CVS and Walgreens say they plan to give as much as double the amount of vaccines as they did last season.

It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body to be fully protected.

Click here to learn where to get your vaccine.