With winter and the weather that comes with it moving in, wintertime illnesses are also becoming more noticeable.

Guthrie County Health Services Director Jotham Arber says that sicknesses like influenza, Covid, RSV and the common cold become more prevalent over the colder months of the year, as people spend more time around one another staying inside and warm. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that getting immunizations can help keep people from getting these illnesses, and where they can get them.

“Here at the health department, we offer the flu shot. We offer that for anyone six months and older. We also offer the COVID vaccination. Currently, most of our vaccine is the spike vax, or Moderna, but there is Pfizer available.”

Arber mentions that these immunizations are also available at local pharmacies, including those in Guthrie Center, Stuart, Adair and Panora. He adds that the RSV vaccine is available by physician recommendation, as it mainly affects young children and the elderly.