We are in tough times right now and that's for sure. There is no telling when the coronavirus pandemic will come to an end.

But for now, the time has come for all schools to require the flu shot. Vaccinations have become an expected part of the routine checkups that take place in late summer.

According to cnn.com, as of Wednesday, "Massachusetts became the first state to require the flu shot for students K-12 as well as for college students. Out side of Massachusetts, only a handful of states require the flu shot for day care and preschool children under 5 years old."

"The influenza virus can cause serious life threatening illness in children and adults of all ages that both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend everyone over the age of six months receive the flu shot every year." (cnn.com)

Do you remember the 2018-2019 flu season? More than seven million kids and teens ages 5 to 17 were symptomatic from the flu, 21,000 ended up in the hospital and 211 died.

This compared to more than three million kids under 5 who were symptomatic, where 25,000 required hospitalization and 266 died, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

"This year, as the COVID-19 pandemic stays with us, the flu season rapidly approaches and schools focus on safe learning environments, we badly need children of all ages in all states across the country to get the flu shot." (cnn.com)

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Here are some tips for self-care during the pandemic:

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