Who doesn't love a good combo? Milk and cookies. Peanut butter and jelly. Bacon and eggs.

But how about the combination of smart public health strategy with one of the largest agricultural events in the nation? That sounds like an excellent idea to me.

That's just what's happening again this year at the Big E -- where the National Grange, Families Fighting Flu and Pharmerica, a national leader in pharmacy services, are teaming up to offer vaccination clinics each day the fair is open.

The National Grange was founded in 1867 and the gates first opened to Big E attendees in 1917. These two long-standing stalwarts of the agricultural community are working together to support rural living and the health of community members.

As the nation's oldest agricultural organization, the National Grange is the only organization serving and advocating for the well-being and betterment of all aspects of agricultural and rural life. The Grange dedicates its mission of service to "build a united, resilient nation where families are given the tools they need to succeed."

I can't think of anything more important to success than personal and community health. Just as we have remained dedicated to upholding important traditions from the past, the Grange has always embraced the innovations of the future. Vaccines are one of those innovations that has truly given our communities the ability to thwart the spread of disease and keep individuals, our families and our neighbors healthy.

Last year, our teams administered more than 3,500 vaccinations to people of all ages, both insured and uninsured, while they were at the fair. This year, we're aiming even higher.

As we enter the upcoming respiratory virus season, we have never had access to more effective vaccines to protect us against serious illness from these viruses than we do today. That's why the National Grange, in partnership with our New England Grange chapters, is embracing creative ways to make vaccination easy and accessible.

We've heard from our partners at Families Fighting Flu how important convenience is for getting people vaccinated. Far too many of their members who have lost a loved one to the flu acknowledge they weren't aware how serious the flu can be and put off getting themselves or their families vaccinated.

The numbers don't lie. The CDC estimates there were at least 35 million flu illnesses, 400,000 hospitalizations and 25,000 deaths during the 2023-24 respiratory season.

These viruses don't discriminate. Even young and healthy people can become dangerously sick, but the very young and the very old, or those with underlying health issues, are at increased risk. Even those who survive the flu can have long-term complications, including amputation and lung damage.

During a season that is incredibly busy for so many people attending the Big E -- between harvesting crops, prepping farms for the coming winter, and the day-to-day tasks we all sometimes struggle to complete -- offering vaccinations where the people are, just makes sense.

Let's protect ourselves and our communities. We look forward to the opportunity to keep Big E attendees healthy through vaccination this year.

Christine Hamp is the president of the National Grange.