This week, New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services identified the season’s first case of influenza. Beth Daly, chief of infectious disease surveillance at DHHS, is encouraging Granite Staters to get vaccinated.
"It’s not too early to be vaccinated," Daly says, "and the flu vaccine this year does contain different strains of the virus, so it’s important that people be vaccinated this year even if they were vaccinated last year as well."
Preventing the flu is particularly important for people with medical conditions like diabetes, chronlic lung disease, and asthma, who may suffer complications from a case of influenza.
DHHS is also urging pregnant women, people over 50, and those in frequent contact with young children to get the vaccine. For those between 6 months and 18 years of age, the vaccine is free.
