Tips for healthy new year
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From The Knox County Hospital
KNOX CITY– With the New Year already underway, many people leverage this opportunity to plan new goals. No matter what is on your list this year, Knox County Hospital District (KCHD) reminds the community to make health and wellness a top priority.
“Resolutions for the New Year do not have to be big, detailed goals. They can – and should – be simple and attainable,” said Stephen Kuehler, CEO of the local hospital district. “When you make wellness a priority this coming year, you can start to see impressive changes in how you feel, leading to a happier and healthier life.”
KCHD shares four important health tips for everyone in the community. Kuehler says that these are easy to follow and applicable for people of all ages.
It’s not too late for flu shot
The flu season typically reaches its peak around this time of year and lasts through February. With that said, if you have yet to get a flu shot this season, you must do so immediately.
Flu vaccines are updated each year to match circulating viruses and improve overall effectiveness in protecting individuals from the viruses that research suggests will be the most common. According to the CDC, vaccines have been updated for the 2019 flu season to better match viruses expected to be circulating in the United States.
People ages six months and older are encouraged to be vaccinated. Seniors over 65, pregnant women, and children under the age of two are particularly vulnerable to the flu, which causes an estimated 100,000 hospitalizations and 30,000 deaths a year.
Recommendations for people with egg allergies are the same as in recent years. Those who have known allergies to eggs are encouraged by the CDC to get a flu shot, but are encouraged to talk with their primary healthcare providers beforehand.