Respiratory illnesses like the flu, COVID-19, and RSV cause millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year. You can reduce your risk and protect your family with simple prevention steps. If you are at higher risk of severe illness or you are around someone who is at high risk, you can take extra steps. People at higher risk include babies, young children, older adults, and people with other health conditions.

To protect yourself and others:

• Stay up to date with immunizations
• Practice good hygiene (practices that improve cleanliness)
• Take steps for cleaner air
• When you may have a respiratory virus:
• Use precautions to prevent spread
• Seek health care promptly for testing and/or treatment if you have risk factors for severe illness; treatment may help lower your risk of severe illness

Additional prevention strategies you can choose to further protect yourself and others include:

• Masks
• Physical distancing
• Tests
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The Carroll County Health Department helps ensure that Carroll County residents have access to information and resources to reduce their risk of respiratory illnesses. 

More information on COVID-19 and RSV​.

Flu

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​​Who needs a flu vaccine?

Everyone 6 months and up needs a flu vaccine every year, with rare exceptions. Flu vaccines:

• Protect against flu illness, hospitalization, and death
• Prevent missed work, school, and other activities
• Protect you, your loved ones, and your community

People aged 65 and up, children under 2, and people who are pregnant or have certain health conditions are at highest risk of getting very sick from the flu.

The best time to get your flu vaccine is by the end of October, but it is most important to get it whenever you can each year.

What do I need to know about the flu vaccine? 

• Certain flu shots are recommended for people aged 65+:  Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent , Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted.
• FluMist is available for people ages 2-49 who are not immunocompromised or pregnant.
• New COVID-19 and RSV vaccines are also available. Check with your healthcare provider to decide what’s best for you. Find a pharmacy or clinic with these vaccines on our Finding Flu and Other Respiratory Vaccinations page​.
• You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and a flu vaccine at the same time. Consider getting the shots in different arms.
• The flu vaccine is well-tested and safe.
  

How else can I prevent the flu and other illnesses?

• Wash your hands often, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched often, like doorknobs, counters, and cell phones.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Avoid crowded indoor spaces.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are caring for someone who is sick, take extra steps to prevent germs from spreading. Consider wearing a mask.
• Stay home when you are sick.
  
• Eat healthy foods, drink enough water, exercise and get enough sleep. 
  

What if I get the flu?

• Most people with flu have mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs.
• Stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. 
  
• Watch for warning signs of flu complications.
• If you are at higher risk of flu complications or you are very sick, contact your health care provider about treatments for flu.
• Antiviral drugs can lessen flu symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by 1 – 2 days if started early in your illness.
  
• Antivirals are different from antibiotics. 
  

• Reduce the risk of illness and missed school, childcare, and work
• Reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from the flu
  
• Help prevent spreading flu to family and friends, including babies younger than 6 months who can't get a flu vaccine
  

• Children younger than 5 years old–especially those younger than 2–are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications. Children of any age with certain chronic health conditions are also at higher risk.
• Some children 6 months through 8 years of age may need 2 doses of the flu vaccine for best protection, if they have not had the flu vaccine before.
• Learn more about flu vaccines for children.

Flu vaccines are also important for people who are pregnant.

• ​People who are pregnant and their babies are at higher risk for flu-related complications. Getting the flu vaccine while pregnant can help protect you and your baby. 

Community Flu Vaccination Planning Committee The organizations below are working together to provide consistent flu-related messaging and access to flu vaccinations, to increase vaccination rates and protect our community from the flu. 

Updated 9/22/2023​

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