Like clockwork, flu season has arrived.
With it comes another decision about whether to receive a vaccination or not.
Flu season officially began the first week of October and runs until April (but may extend beyond that month if the virus spread is late during the year).
Flu shots are available at various spots in Jefferson City. Hy-Vee Pharmacy, for example, provides flu vaccines on a walk-in basis. No appointments or prescriptions are necessary and vaccine recipients can typically expect to be in and out within 10 minutes.
For Jefferson City resident Daniel Jackson, the convenience of getting the vaccine at Hy-Vee is a major plus.
"I like that I can get it over with, quick and easy, while my wife picks up a few things," Jackson said while waiting for his shot in an area outside the pharmacy.
A couple chairs down from Jackson, Melissa Kemp patiently waits for her name to be called. For Kemp, the COVID-19 pandemic was the inspiration to get the flu shot, saying, "I never really bothered to do it before, but especially now with COVID, I guess I am more conscious of my health, and you can never be too safe."
She added, "It's a few minutes out of my life to maybe not get sick, so why not?"
But Kemp's experience may be unusual. There does not seem to be any correlation between COVID-19 and a rise in flu vaccines, local health officials said.
According to Chezney Schulte, communicable disease coordinator at the Cole County Health Department, the number of people opting to get the flu shot is "right around the same as it usually is, maybe a little less."
"There has not been an uptick," Schulte said.
The department has given out about 2,500 flu shots so far, which is in keeping with previous years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while last year's season had historic lows for flu infections nationwide, lowered immunity may put the public at greater risk for illness this year.
The CDC recommends everybody 6 months and older receive a flu vaccine each year to prevent getting and spreading the flu virus.
A full list of vaccination locations in Mid-Missouri can be found at vaccines.gov.