DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- Dallas County Health and Human Services is urging people over 65 to get a COVID booster ahead of summer travel. The CDC recommends a booster for seniors and for anyone who has not had a shot in the past year.
"COVID-19 is still affecting people in our community, and it's very important we take steps necessary to protect ourselves and our loved ones," says DCHHS Director Phil Huang.
Huang says people can get vaccinated now before leaving for trips or attending family events over the summer. He says even healthy adults should get the vaccine, saying that can protect older people or those with weakened immune systems.
"We'd rather prevent these things than be reactive," he says. "We've seen how it can cause severe illness, hospitalization and deaths."
"People over the age of 65 disproportionately are impacted by COVID with most of the deaths occurring in that age group and more than half the hospitalizations occurring in that older age group," says Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
Jenkins' mom got a booster Monday at Dallas County Health.
"It's important for all of us to stay current on our vaccinations to protect our whole family and to protect one another," he says. "She's getting that now before we head out in front of a bunch of people and go anywhere over the summer."
Huang also urges people who may be at risk to get the mpox vaccine. Mpox, formerly known as "monkeypox," is in the same family as smallpox. The CDC recommends the vaccine for anyone who has had a sexually transmitted disease in the past six months, a weakened immune system because of HIV, a man who has sex with other men or has had intimate contact with someone who may have mpox.
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