BATON ROUGE - While progress is being made in the effort to develop vaccines that successfully fight COVID-19, the potentially life-saving drugs are not available to the public just yet and during the fall/winter season, the flu is still a secondary threat.

However, a flu vaccine is available and residents of Baton Rouge can be immunized for free, Thursday.

The Louisiana Department of Health will offer free flu shots to the public Thursday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Baton Rouge Parish Health Unit located at 353 North 12th Street. 

Health experts say it's more important than ever to be vaccinated, as contracting the flu can weaken the immune system and make it harder to fight coronavirus if exposed. 

Officials have also expressed concern as to how citizens will choose to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays. 

While Thanksgiving traditionally involves groups of in-person dinners, health officials are warning that such gatherings may not be prudent amid a viral pandemic that has led to the deaths of over 250,000 in the US alone.   

Click here for tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to safely navigate the Thanksgiving holidays and click here for more information on flu vaccinations.