Seasonal vaccination rates in Connecticut declined this year compared to the same time last year, according to the Department of Public Health (DPH). Statewide, slightly more than a million people are vaccinated against the flu – a 6% drop. For COVID-19, about 300,000 vaccine doses were administered this season, a decline of 28.5%.
Now, the state’s top public health official is urging people to take action to boost those numbers.
“As we prepare for travel and celebrations in close quarters, we also enter the peak season for respiratory illnesses like influenza, COVID-19, and RSV,” said Dr. Manisha Juthani, DPH commissioner in a statement. “If you haven’t gotten your seasonal shots, it’s not too late to protect yourself from potential serious complications and protect our vulnerable populations … who may not be able to get vaccinated themselves.”
DPH’s issued a vaccine and prevention guidance to prevent respiratory viral diseases:
- Everyone 6 months of age or older should receive an annual dose of influenza vaccine.
- Everyone 6 months of age or older should receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- Adults 60 years of age and older and pregnant people are eligible to receive an RSV vaccine (Abrysvo).
- A monoclonal antibody, Nirsevimab (Beyfortus), is recommended for all infants younger than 8 months of age who are born during — or who are entering — RSV season.
Learn more
Residents can receive their vaccines from their health care provider, a retail pharmacy, or by visiting vaccinefinder.org to find a nearby vaccination location
More information about current respiratory virus cases, hospitalizations and deaths is available here.
