Flu Shot

Massachusetts students are no longer required to get the flu vaccine this school year, health officials announced Friday, citing a mild flu season and a need to concentrate on getting people vaccinated for COVID-19. Nevertheless, health officials are still recommending that people have their children get the seasonal flu vaccination every year, regardless of the requirement being dropped. The Massachusetts…

Health officials have stressed the importance of getting a flu shot this season and they announced efforts Friday morning on how to make sure more people have access to them. Dr. Deidre Gifford, the acting commissioner of the Department of Public Health, said the state Department of Health is working with local health departments to get a flu vaccine at…

Protesters are expected to rally Tuesday against Gov. Charlie Baker’s flu shot mandate for students, calling it an example of overreach by the administration. The rally — slated to take place at 1 p.m. at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston — is the latest effort to thwart the mandate that requires students from kindergarten up to…

Symptoms of the common flu and side effects of the vaccine may overlap with many COVID-19 symptoms. One urgent care doctor in Massachusetts explains similarities and differences.

With the school year officially under way, Gov. Charlie Baker is pleading with the public to get their flu shots while we work through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Charlie Baker speaks from a CVS pharmacy in Roslindale about the importance of getting the flu vaccine this year because the coronavirus pandemic.

As Massachusetts grapples with reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic, a new requirement health officials say is important for public safety is drawing the ire of some parents. Woburn mom Sheila Toomey says her 8-year-old daughter has received a flu shot before, but she doesn’t want to be told that’s it mandatory. “I don’t think the government should be...

Students at Massachusetts schools from kindergarten up to universities, as well as children at least 6 months old in day care, must get the flu vaccine by the end of the year if they’re around others, health officials said Wednesday. The new requirement from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health comes amid the coronavirus pandemic, which public health experts have…