Gov. Jared Polis received his flu shot Wednesday on the lawn of the governor’s mansion, urging the public to get vaccinated during a “critical juncture” before the flu season further complicates Colorado’s resurgent coronavirus threat.

“Unlike COVID, we have a vaccine already for the flu,” said Polis, who received his flu vaccine along with former Broncos defensive back Billy Thompson and Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland.

Public health officials are concerned about the possibility of a “twindemic” this year, warning that a flu epidemic on top of the continuing spread of COVID-19 would further strain a health care system stretched thin.

As of Wednesday, nearly 80% of ICU beds at Colorado hospitals were in use. More than a third of adult critical care ventilators were in use.

Colorado reported nearly 1,050 new positive coronavirus cases Monday, the most since March, Gov. Jared Polis said Tuesday, when he also noted that deaths from the virus had topped 2,000 in the state.

The rate of positive coronavirus tests in Colorado is above 5% for the first time, Polis also said Tuesday. On Monday, the rate reached 6.4%. The World Health Organization recommended in the spring that communities wait to reopen until the rate was were under 5%.

“This is a critical juncture,” Polis said. “We need to get this under control now as we get into winter, before Thanksgiving and the holiday season, and we have just a few-week window to do that.”

Also on hand for Polis’ news conference were Dinger, the Rockies mascot, and Miles, the Broncos mascot, who looked on as the dignitaries received their vaccines.

“Yes, dinosaurs and horses can get the flu, so we want to make sure they’re protected,” Polis said with a chuckle. “We care deeply about our dinosaurs and horses in Colorado.”

Colorado is enduring a third wave of the virus even as public health experts warn that holiday gatherings could bolster the spread of infections, potentially pushing new daily cases past 40,000 a day and endangering hospital capacity by December.

October is prime time for flu vaccinations, and the U.S. and Europe are gearing up for what experts hope is high demand as countries seek to avoid the twindemic.

“There’s considerable concern as we enter the fall and winter months and into the flu season that we’ll have that dreaded overlap” of flu and the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institutes of Health said this month.

The same precautions that help stop spread of the coronavirus — wearing masks, avoiding crowds, washing your hands and keeping your distance — can help block influenza, too.

Winter just ended in the Southern Hemisphere, and countries such as South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Chile diagnosed hardly any flu thanks to COVID-19 restrictions combined with a big push for influenza vaccinations.

With the coronavirus still circulating and cold weather coming just as more schools and businesses reopen, there’s no guarantee that countries in the Northern Hemisphere will be as lucky with the flu.

The U.S. recommends the flu vaccine for everyone starting at 6 months of age. But flu is most dangerous for people over age 65, young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions such as heart disease, asthma, even diabetes.

Most Americans with insurance can get it without a co-pay, and there are different kinds to choose from: regular shots, two types of shots that aim to give older adults a little extra protection, and a nasal spray. The CDC doesn’t recommend one over another.

The CDC estimated that last year the flu hospitalized 400,000 Americans and killed 22,000.

Coloradans can find a flu clinic location at fluvaxcolorado.org.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.