Protect You and Your Familia by Staying Up to Date on COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines

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With the summer winding down and school right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about checking all the items off your to-do list before school is back in session.  

Start the fall season on the right track by prioritizing the health of you, your family, and everyone around you by making sure you’re up to date on your vaccinations.  

That’s why Salud America! is partnering with Champions for Vaccine Education, Equity and Progress (CVEEP) to remind you about the importance and benefits of being vaccinated.  

To promote vaccination updates, CVEEP, convened by the Alliance for Aging Research, HealthyWomen, and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, is raising vaccine equity awareness by providing vaccine education and resources. 

Let’s examine some of the science behind vaccinations, how they keep us safe, and the reasons you’ll want to update your COVID-19 and flu vaccines ahead of the start of cold and flu season. 

COVID-19 and Flu Vaccinations 

Viruses date back billions of years, according to Harvard Museum of Science and Culture. 

Before modern medicine and the invention of the vaccine, viruses like smallpox, influenza, and measles were responsible for killing millions of people. 

While these viruses have yet to be eradicated, advances in medicine in the form of immunizations have curbed the spread of these infections and lowered the risks for life-threatening effects.  

However, many of these viruses continue to impact the lives of people worldwide.  

Between Oct. 1, 2023, to June 1, 2024, there were 35 million flu illnesses reported resulting in 390,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths, according to a CVEEP fact sheet.  

In the years 2019 to 2020, flu vaccines prevented 7 million influenza illnesses, 3 million doctor’s visits, 100,000 hospital stays, and 7,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

According to the CDC, flu vaccines reduce the risk of illness by 40% to 60% during cold and flu season.  

Another persistent threat is COVID-19, which continues to see new and worsening strains of the virus every few months.  

Before the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, the highly contagious virus caused a multitude of deaths, many hospitalizations, and left several with long-term health effects known as Long COVID.  

In the years following the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, only 44,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the US were reported from Oct. 1, 2023, to June 1. 2024, according to CVEEP.  

When administered properly, the COVID-19 vaccine can decrease the risk for hospitalization by 80% and death by 90%, according to a CVEEP vaccination fact sheet. 

While vaccines work to prevent adverse health effects from viruses like the flu and COVID-19, one vaccine isn’t enough.  

Importance of Updating Vaccines 

Viruses are constantly undergoing changes, also known as “mutations,” to avoid the body’s natural immune response and protection from vaccines, according to CVEEP’s Stay Updated website.  

For instance, COVID-19 has mutated and undergone several iterations.  

To account for these changes, COVID-19 and flu vaccinations are updated to protect the new strains and variants currently circulating.  

These viruses mutate very quickly, and the next update is expected to target the variations of viruses for the fall.  

“COVID-19 and flu result in thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year. The best way to reduce the risk of severe illness from infectious respiratory disease is to stay up to date with recommended vaccinations,” CVEEP recommends. 

Vaccination Preparedness Resources 

To keep people informed about the importance of updating vaccinations, CVEEP released several helpful resources, including a fact sheet with valuable information about how vaccines keep us protected.  

Getting the message out to stay updated on vaccines is imperative for keeping you safe. 

That’s why CVEEP created an informational poster that can be displayed in the offices of healthcare providers, schools and daycares, community centers, places of business, and more. 

To further vaccine education, CVEEP also released a glossary filled with vaccine-related terms such as mutation, strain, and variant to help people understand the science behind vaccinations. 

Lastly, CVEEP is sharing a timeline of the COVID-19 virus to depict how viruses develop, grow, and mutate so you can visualize the need for updated vaccines.  

Find a COVID-19 Vaccination Site Near You 

Despite the invention of the vaccine, COVID-19 is still an immediate threat to health, especially for Latinos, who continue suffer a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases due to lack of vaccine access and distrust in the healthcare system.  

The effects of the virus have been mitigated thanks to the vaccine, but it only works if you are protected against each new strain of the virus.  

The good news is that COVID-19 vaccinations are easier to come by and can be administered at no cost to you and your familia, according to the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project.  

“You may have heard about upcoming changes to how COVID-19 vaccines will be paid for, but even as these changes take place, COVID-19 vaccines will still be available and fully covered — free of cost for almost everyone,” according to the “You’re Covered” campaign, which partners with Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio to raise vaccination awareness. 

To find a vaccination location near you, visit Vaccines.gov.  

Once you’ve located a vaccination site, call or visit their website to make an appointment. 

The CDC recommends checking with your insurer to make sure vaccinations are covered under your plan and finding a site that takes your insurance. 

Those looking for free vaccines can search for locations part of the Bridge Access Program. 

Find COVID-19 vaccination locations near you in English and Spanish.  

For more information about the You’re Covered campaign check out their website in English and Spanish along with the fact sheet (English) (Spanish).  

YOU’RE COVERED!