Welcome to Flu Season: Spectrum Health Encourages Immunizations

October 13, 2015

It’s October, and that means the 2015-2016 flu season has arrived. Spectrum Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend a flu shot for everyone aged 6 months or older.

Last year’s flu season was long and harsh, according to the CDC. The percentage of flu-related visits to a doctor was elevated for 20 consecutive weeks, which well exceeded the average of 13 weeks. It also marked the highest rate of hospitalization for older adults in more than a decade.

The CDC reports that this season’s vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses. There are several ways to get one, including:

Visit a Spectrum Health Urgent Care Center
Contact your Spectrum Health Medical Group primary care provider
Visit a Spectrum Health Visiting Nurse Association clinic, held throughout West Michigan through November 15. The schedule is available here.

“People who choose to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible are making the right choice,” said Ryan Foster, director of Spectrum Health Pharmacy. “It is part of doing all we can to reduce the risk of influenza infection in ourselves and those around us.”

More information is available at www.spectrumhealth.org/flu.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 12 hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 183 ambulatory and service sites; more than 3,100 physicians and advanced practice providers, including 1,100 members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a health plan with about 653,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer, with 23,100 employees. The organization provided $283 million in community benefit during its 2015 fiscal year. Spectrum Health is the only health system in Michigan to be named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems® by Truven Health Analytics for 2015. This is the fourth time the organization has received this recognition.