Central IL health experts offering screenings, vaccines ahead of scho…

CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — With fall and school approaching, health officials in the state are offering children a chance to start the academic year on a healthy note. They’re also reminding everyone in general about not only flu season, but COVID season as well.

Lauren Fore, an M.D. of family medicine at Kirby Medical Center in Monticello, said COVID looks to be falling into a pattern where it thrives in the winter, like other respiratory viruses. That season is expected to start ramping up in the fall.

“It doesn’t seem like the public is very aware of this,” she said. “I try and talk to all of my patients about it when they come in for any kind of appointment, just to make them aware and encourage them to get the updated COVID vaccine this fall along with their flu shot.

Fore said new COVID boosters will be released around mid-September and will guard against the new Omicron variant.