Minnesota officials urge COVID-19 and flu shots before fall season
Minnesota health officials recommended that adults and young children receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine and that everyone get the annual flu shot as clinics and pharmacies prepared for a rise in respiratory virus activity this fall. Earlier, medical experts warned that the flu season would likely start in September or October and run through March, with RSV, COVID-19 and common colds also circulating, and they emphasized vaccination and basic hygiene as key defenses. Health officials later cautioned that rates of respiratory illness were climbing and urged people to obtain the updated flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines, including the newly approved mRNA flu shot, by early October.
Doctors and public-health officials in Chicago echoed the call, urging residents to be vaccinated before the winter season as schools reopened. Michigan health officials similarly advised getting the flu shot by late October to ensure protection through the typical October-May season.
