The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

OLYMPIA—While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our daily lives, autumn brings with it another unwanted visitor – the flu. The presence of both viruses could put more people in the hospital and strain Washington’s health care system. While we don’t yet have a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, we do have one to prevent flu.

Everyone 6 months and older needs a flu vaccine. Young children, pregnant women, people with underlying health conditions, and those aged 65 and older are at high risk of complications from flu illness. Flu is a highly contagious disease that can cause mild to severe illn...