Representative Koutoujian Encourages Residents to Get Vaccinated
Advocacy is Part of Flu Awareness Week
Boston – Today State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, House Chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Health encouraged Massachusetts residents to get their flu shot as a part of Influenza Awareness Week.
Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory infection, with between 5-20% of Massachusetts residents contracting some form of the flu each year. This week, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that the flu season is officially underway, with at least 60 confirmed cases having been reported so far this year.
“We cannot prevent the arrival of flu season, but we can reduce our risk of contracting the flu,” Koutoujian said. “There is no more effective way to protect ourselves from the flu than getting vaccinated every year.”
To locate a flu clinic near you, please contact the State Health Information hotline toll free at (877) MASS-FLU. Also, MassPRO – the Medicare quality improvement organization for Massachusetts – is providing a website with information about public flu clinics in Massachusetts. Their web address is: http://flu.masspro.org/
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