Flu season starts next month. The state Department of Health is asking people to get vaccinated before the disease starts to spread.
Experts say the flu season New Mexico saw two years ago was a severe one. Last year鈥檚 was even worse.
"There were 30 flu deaths among New Mexico residents," said Marisa Bargsten, who works in the Department of Health鈥檚 flu unit. She says it鈥檚 too early to see what the upcoming flu season will look like鈥� cases usually start to rise in October鈥攂ut she says if more people get vaccinated now, we might be able to head off the kind of outbreak we saw the last few years.
"We get vaccinated not just for ourselves but for people who are around us in the community, because there are people who are at high risk," she said.
It takes about two weeks before the vaccine becomes effective, so the health department is urging people to get shots now.
DOH is offering free vaccinations at its public health offices for people without insurance or who can't otherwise get the shot. See where to go for your shot on , or for a full list of locations offering flu vaccines.
