Fulton County voters can “Vote and Vax” beginning Saturday, Oct. 27. Voters can cast their ballots and obtain their annual flu slots as a part of an effort to reduce the risk of flu among citizens. Vote and Vax primarily targets adults aged 50 or older. 

In North Fulton, voters can go to the North Service Center in Sandy Springs, 7741 Roswell Road, on Thursday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to cast their ballots and get their shots.

According to the Centers for Disease control, in the United States, on average 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications. The CDC also reports that the expected severity of a flu season cannot be accurately predicted.    

In a questions and answers publication, the CDC reports that “over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. Some people, such as older people, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications. The best way to prevent seasonal flu is by getting a seasonal flu vaccination each year.”

Piedmont Healthcare and Grady Health System are donating the flu vaccine and the staff to administer the vaccines.

For more information about “Vote and Vax,” call the Fulton County Office of Aging STARline at 404-613-6000.