Maryland Department of Health urges Marylanders to vaccinate against COVID-19, flu and RSV
BALTIMORE --The Maryland Department of Health expanded its statewide public awareness campaign "Vaccinate. Prevent. Protect" to call attention to the importance of getting updated COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccinations.
"We urge all Marylanders to get these two vaccines as soon as possible to be protected for the upcoming months," said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott. "We are also excited that this year, for the first time, there are RSV vaccines and antibody treatments available for older adults, pregnant women, and newborns to protect our most vulnerable Marylanders against severe RSV infections."
Adults 60 and older are encouraged to get the new RSV vaccine to prevent them from severe illnesses. Pregnant women in their third trimester and infants should also get the new vaccine along with a monoclonal antibody treatment, the department said.
The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech were both approved on Sept. 12 by the CDC against new COVID-19 variants.
Marylanders 6 months and older can receive the new vaccine if it has been two months since their last COVID-19 vaccine.
Marylanders 5 and older may get the updated vaccine even if they haven't received previous vaccines.
Annual flu vaccines are widely available at local pharmacies, health department clinics, and health care providers. According to the CDC, receiving both flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time is safe and convenient.
Vaccination and prevention are the best ways to protect families and friends against the triple threat of COVID-19, seasonal flu, and RSV throughout the fall and winter seasons, the department said.
For more information about how to protect against COVID-19, flu, and RSV, visit the health department's website. Marylanders can also visit vaccines.gov for a listing of COVID-19 and flu shot sites near them.
