The start of a new year usually features talk about resolutions and changes that can be made to support a healthier way of living. One way to strengthen your defense in remaining healthy is staying up-to-date on vaccinations. Vaccines serve as a safe and reliable defense against serious illness, protecting the health of individuals, their loved ones, and others in their community.

Immunizations for all three major winter respiratory illnesses are important to note. These include flu, COVID-19 and RSV (for those eligible). The Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA7) continues to partner with vaccine clinics throughout our region to offer convenient opportunities for the community to strengthen their defense. The AAA7 is teaming up with local agencies to support vaccination education as a part of the Aging and Disability Vaccine Collaborative, a project supported by the Administration for Community Living through US Aging, the AAA7’s national association.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, benefits of vaccination against seasonal respiratory illness include:

· Flu – flu vaccines reduce the risk of flu illness, severe illness, hospitalization, and death

· COVID-19 – COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting people from serious illness, hospitalization, death from COVID-19, as well as also reducing the risk of long-COVID.

· RSV – vaccination against RSV can help prevent severe RSV illness, hospitalization, and death.

The AAA7 has featured on our website’s Home Page a “Vaccine Information and Resources” section that features information about vaccines, a list of upcoming vaccine clinics, and other important resources to assist the community. If you have any questions, please contact the AAA7 at 1-800-582-7277 or e-mail [email protected].