JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Flu season is just around the corner and some early cases have already surfaced, with Dr. Sunil Joshi, the chief health officer for the City of Jacksonville warning it could be a rough flu season ahead.
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“There were some cases this summer, some cases already this August, so we’re already seeing cases come through, which means it could be a difficult flu season,” Dr. Joshi told Action News Jax Wednesday. “But we usually don’t know until after the flu season when we can look back in retrospect.”
Now, the Duval County Medical Society is looking to help families in need by giving out free flu vaccine vouchers through the fifth annual FluVaxJax campaign. The program has already distributed over 5,000 free vaccines during the last four years, and now the city’s public health leaders are looking to help families stay safe this flu season.
“If you suffer with chronic health conditions like asthma or emphysema or heart disease or diabetes, you can get pneumonia from the flu, you can get brain infections from the flu,” warned Dr. Joshi. “The flu can kill you.”
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For those in Jacksonville who are uninsured, these vouchers aim to keep families healthy and save some money.
“It can be anywhere between 30 and 50 dollars per shot wherever you go and so if you have a family of four, you can be looking at almost 200 dollars just to get a flu vaccine to prevent you getting sick,” Dr. Joshi outlined.
Those interested in applying for the program can do so at the FluVaxJax website by clicking here.
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