Mayor Craig's MOVE WITH THE MAYOR

Move with the Mayor- Hanover Park MWTM-R Hanover Park


MOVE WITH THE MAYOR™ (MWTM) is a collaboration with the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention. Mayors encourage their communities to be physically active to lower their chances of heart disease and its risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Mayor Craig has joined mayors across the country who are encouraging residents to protect and improve their health and who are making their communities more active and accessible. #MoveWithTheMayor 


Move with the Mayor® Flu Vaccination

Facts about the flu5 reasons You should get the flu vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 44,900 people died from flu complications during the 2023-2024 flu season.¹

This highlights the importance of understanding and preventing the flu, a highly contagious respiratory illness. To protect against the flu, the CDC recommends that everyone six months of age and older — except for rare exceptions — receive an annual vaccination.

Here are some facts about the flu and the importance of getting your flu shot.

Benefits of flu vaccination

  • Getting a flu shot can significantly reduce your risk of contracting the flu. It prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor visits each year.²
  • Flu vaccination reduces the risk of severe flu complications, including hospitalization and death.¹
  • Getting flu shots helps protect those more vulnerable to serious flu illness, such as young children, older adults, and people with certain chronic health conditions.

Flu vaccination for people with chronic disease 

  • 90% of people hospitalized with the flu had at least one chronic condition.³ Among the people hospitalized:
    • 62% had high blood pressure 
    • 45% had heart disease
    • 40% had a metabolic disease like diabetes and thyroid dysfunction
  • People with chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, heart disease, kidney disease, and obesity are at higher risk for severe flu complications. Flu vaccination can help reduce hospitalizations related to these conditions.⁴
  • Individuals with cardiovascular disease are at higher risk for complications from the flu, including exacerbation of heart conditions, pneumonia, and even heart attacks.⁵
  • Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of cardiac death by up to 50% for individuals with acute coronary syndrome.
  • Flu vaccination can decrease the total number of deaths from any cause by 43%.⁷
  • For people with diabetes, getting a flu vaccine can lower hospital admissions by 79%.⁸

When to get a flu shot

  • The best time to get a flu shot is September and October. This timing ensures optimal protection during the peak flu season.¹
  • Antibodies can take two weeks to develop, so it’s important to get the vaccine early. 
  • However, if you miss getting the flu shot in those months, it’s still recommended to get vaccinated later in the season.¹
  • For more detailed information, visit the CDC’s seasonal flu page at cdc.gov/flu.


Sources

  1. CDC Recommends Updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines for Fall/Winter Virus Season
  2. CDC - Seasonal Flu Vaccine Basics
  3. CDC - People with Chronic Medical Conditions Continue to Account for The Majority of Flu Hospitalizations This Season
  4. CDC - Who Needs a Flu Vaccine
  5. AHA - Flu and Pneumonia Prevention
  1. NIH - Association of Influenza Vaccination With Cardiovascular Risk
  1. Ageing Research Reviews – Effects of influenza vaccination on the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and all-cause mortality
  1. CDC - Flu and People with Diabetes
  2. FDA - It’s a Good Time to Get Your Flu Vaccine