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What’s more, the CDC notes that racism and prejudice are also known to worsen inequalities. “Improving access to and trust in flu vaccines among people is critical to help reduce

inequities,” CDC Acting Principal Deputy Director Debra Houry, M.D., said. Lower vaccination rates may be contributing to the disparities seen in hospitalization rates, the CDC says. It’s

likely chronic diseases, some of which are more common in certain minority populations, also play a role. Conditions like asthma, diabetes and obesity can increase the risk for serious flu

complications and hospitalization. NOW IS THE TIME TO GET THE FLU SHOT If you haven’t had your flu shot yet, now is the time to get it, since flu activity typically starts to pick up in

October. (The CDC has already noted an early uptick in flu cases, with the Southeast and South Central areas of the country reporting the highest levels.) “It takes about two weeks after you

get your vaccine for your body’s immune system to mount a good antibody response. You need to factor that time into it as well,” Nipunie Rajapakse, M.D., a pediatric infectious diseases

physician at the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center, explained in a news release. Everyone 6 months and older is encouraged to get the vaccine. And this year, health officials are urging all

adults 65 and older to get what’s known as a high-dose version of the flu shot (there are three different options to choose from). Older adults are among those at highest risk for

complications from the flu and account for the majority of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. The CDC estimates that the flu was responsible for between 140,000 to 710,000

hospitalizations and 12,000 to 52,000 deaths annually between 2010 and 2020. “Vaccination is the best defense we have against the worst outcomes of getting the flu,” the CDC’s Houry said. 

_Rachel Nania writes about health care and health policy for AARP. Previously she was a reporter and editor for WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. A recipient of a Gracie Award and a regional

Edward R. Murrow Award, she also participated in a dementia fellowship with the National Press Foundation._