Written by Marcia Seaberg, CNN
Some 50 service members are based at Oklahoma’s Army and Air National Guard armories in cities across the state, the state’s Office of the Lieutenant Governor said in a statement on Friday. But now the service members must all get vaccinated.
“The concern of getting sick is something that we all hear from our families,” Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb said in a news release. “So it’s important that everyone who visits Oklahoma has the proper immunity to treat the flu.”
Those service members include child care professionals, instructors and staff at the Oklahoma Military Academy, which is run by the Oklahoma Air National Guard, the statement said.
“To protect the service members’ personal safety, the Oklahoma National Guard has started notifying service members of the situation and is working to find options that can be provided to those individuals for consideration,” the statement said.
The Governor’s Office of Public Health said there is currently no report of a community-wide flu outbreak in Oklahoma, and the majority of the illnesses seen throughout the state since the beginning of the year have been cases of Influenza A or B.
“Public health experts estimate that the United States will see more than 60,000 illnesses and 13,000 cases of hospitalization due to flu in 2019,” the Governor’s Office of Public Health said in a statement on Thursday.
Officials said that the number of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths this season is higher than previous years. A total of 92 people died from flu-related causes last year in Oklahoma, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor said. Of these deaths, 26 occurred at a military veterans’ facility, according to the office.
CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Oklahoma Department of Health.
Still, officials are urging everyone over the age of six months to get vaccinated.
The Governor’s Office of Public Health is “preparing for the possibility of getting more calls and emails this season,” and recommends receiving a flu shot at least as soon as your first symptoms appear.
There is no shot approved for patients with renal (kidney) disease, the office said.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment also has told CNN that it expects to advise military families about the State Department of Health’s protocol for vaccinations at their local armories.
Officials offered recommendations for caregivers.
“So, yes, it is best to keep kids at home and give shots in a safe and clean environment,” the Health Department said.