Holiday season reminder: Keep yourself protected as respiratory illnesses rise

JACKSON, Tenn. — The holiday season is almost here. As more people travel and gather with loved ones, it’s crucial to protect yourself and your family with respiratory illnesses still circulating in the coming months.

If you haven’t already, go ahead and get your flu, COVID-19, or RSV vaccines as soon as possible for the fall season and before traveling. It can be difficult to tell the difference between flu and COVID.

“It’s really confusing. Do I have flu? Do I have COVID? The symptoms look really similar. You could have a fever, runny nose, respiratory symptoms,” said Anita Patel, vice president of pharmacy services development at Walgreens.

There are tests available that assess for both COVID and flu and can get results within 30 minutes. It’s good to know which virus you may have to quickly take steps toward recovery and keep loved ones safe.

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