Tulsa Health Department, Hillcrest Medical Center Launch 'Don't Bug Me' Flu Prevention Campaign

The Tulsa Health Department and Hillcrest Medical Center are launching their annual “Don’t Bug Me” campaign on Wednesday.

Ellen Niemitalo with the Tulsa Health Department says last year’s flu season numbers were significantly lower than the year before, mostly due to people staying home and wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She says during the 2020 flu season, Tulsa had 85 hospitalizations and 6 deaths as compared to the 2019 flu season when Tulsa had 867 hospitalizations and 22 deaths.

In an attempt to keep case counts from reaching those high levels this year, THD and Hillcrest are launching their flu shot awareness campaign again on Wednesday. Any qualifying adult or child can receive a flu shot at no cost at the Tulsa Health Department. The shot is also available at several local pharmacies and medical providers at little to no cost with insurance.

“Flu vaccines have been around for decades,” Niemitalo said. “They are safe, they are effective, and they do change a bit every year to reflect the strains that are predicted to be circulating through this country.”

Niemitalo says she does expect this year’s flu numbers to follow the higher trend seen in past years, but hopes people will continue to be extra conscious of their health.

“If people do get the flu after they’ve been vaccinated they tend to have a much milder case and not have the complications of a hospitalization that results from a severe case of influenza,” Niemitalo said.

This is the 17th year the two health organizations have partnered for the “Don’t Bug Me” campaign.