Statewide Iowa — Researchers warn this flu season could be far worse than normal.
Kelly Garcia, interim director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, says the flu vaccine is widely available and can be taken at the same time as a COVID booster shot.
In remarks during a telephone town hall meeting with Iowa AARP members, Garcia urged Iowans to stay home if they have flu symptoms.
The Iowa Department of Public Health’s website indicates about 39 percent of Iowa residents got a flu shot last year. The rate varies from county to county. Half of the residents in Winneshiek and Carroll Counties got the flu vaccine last year, while the lowest percentage of all 99 counties was in Jefferson County where just under 24 percent of residents got the flu shot.
