Beebe Healthcare is holding free flu vaccine clinics as the Northern Hemisphere prepares for an early flu season.
Beebe Healthcare infectious disease physician Dr. Bill Chasanov says flu season is expected to peak in December, but other respiratory illnesses like COVID and RSV are also expected to rise again. COVID already is – as indicated by the state’s latest hospitalization data.
“Last year was an interesting year," Chasanov says. "Not because it was a record number of flu cases in Delaware by any stretch, but we also had RSV that we were more concerned about last year than we usually are, and then we had the COVID-19 virus that is obviously still here and we needed to keep an eye on.”
Chasanov notes there are increasing treatment options for people dealing with any of these respiratory illnesses, and differentiating between viruses is important when seeking treatment.
But preventative measures and precautions are the same across the board.
“So my recommendation is that it’s always helpful for people to know what they do have," Chasanov says. "If someone is ill with the flu, they should do all of those things that we talked about with COVID as well, making sure that we’re washing our hands, we’re staying away from others, if you have to be somewhere, to minimize that contact and make sure that we’re wearing a mask in order to keep others safe.”
Chasanov says Beebe’s flu vaccine clinics across Sussex County are geared to help people without a primary care physician get their shots.
Dates and locations for Beebe’s vaccine clinics can be found on their website.
