ATLANTA — A new national campaign is underway to encourage Americans to get vaccinated against the flu as health officials report that cases are already beginning to appear.
The Ad Council and the American Medical Association (AMA) have launched the campaign to increase flu vaccination rates and help prevent the spread of the virus.
The campaign comes after an estimated 32 million Americans became sick with the flu last season. Of those, approximately 390,000 were hospitalized, and an estimated 25,000 died from flu-related illnesses.
Despite those numbers, flu vaccination rates remain below 50%.
Dr. Melissa Garretson, a board-certified pediatrician with the AMA, says flu vaccines are available now and encourages people to get vaccinated.
“There’s lots of data that shows that the flu vaccine is safe and very protective, but most importantly it helps protect you against secondary infections with the flu and it keeps you out of the hospital and prevents death,” Garretson said.
The campaign emphasizes how quick, easy and affordable getting a flu shot can be while highlighting the vaccine’s ability to reduce the risk of severe illness and flu-related complications.
Garretson also stressed the importance of having a trusted source of information when making decisions about vaccinations.
“The thing to remember right now with all the noise in that space over vaccines, it’s really important to have someone you can go to to help you kind of sort through the information to figure out what’s right for you, your body, and your family,” Garretson said.
The campaign also provides resources to help people learn more about flu vaccines and locate vaccination sites in their communities.
“There’s a website to go to where they can get information about flu vaccination and also a locator to find where places in your community are giving the flu vaccine right now,” Garretson said.
Garretson says flu vaccines are currently available, with plenty of doses to go around.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.
