Dallas County Public Health is recommending getting flu shots early this year.

Public Information Officer Ann Cochran tells Raccoon Valley Radio that she usually recommends putting off flu shots until closer to winter so the vaccination works better during peak flu season, which is in late January and early February. 

However, with the threat of COVID-19, Cochran says it’s important to try and get ahead of flu season before it begins, “We usually say at this time of year, ‘Don’t get it yet’ but this year we’re saying go ahead and get your flu shot, and make sure your kiddos get their flu shots right now. The last thing our children need, on top of everything else, is to wind up with the flu. So we want to make sure that the flu doesn’t become a big problem in the schools in addition to any other issues that we’re having with exposure to COVID-19.”

Cochran adds a lot of the sanitation practice being emphasized for COVID-19, like regular handwashing, avoiding touching your eyes and mouth, and covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing, can go a long way to halting the spread of the flu.