Flu shot appointments available soon at Mayo Clinic Health System sites

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Scheduling opens next week for flu shot appointments at Mayo Clinic Health System locations in southwest Minnesota.

Mayo says getting vaccinated is important since the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing.

Reducing your risk of getting sick from the flu, or other illnesses, helps preserve health care resources.

Mayo says you should get vaccinated every year to stay protected against new strains.

“The flu virus undergoes changes, and that’s why we need to give you a new vaccine every year. Every year, the flu vaccine has four different strains that are collected from all over the world. We pick the ones they think are most likely to cause infection,” said Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo.

Several Mayo locations will begin scheduling flu shot appointments next Saturday, Oct. 1.

People are encouraged to get them sooner than later, before flu season arrives.

“In the Midwest, typically, flu doesn’t start until about the last week in December, and then it can go through the end of March. The vaccine takes about two weeks to induce an immune response, so you should get it two weeks before--by the first week of December,” Sampathkumar added.

The first flu shots will be administered starting Oct. 17.

You can book an appointment using Patient Online Services, the Mayo Clinic app or by calling your local clinic.