Preparing for flu season
Webster County Health Dept. offers flu shotsBy JESSE HELLING, Messenger staff writer
Fact Box
Who should get the flu shot?
People who should get vaccinated each year are:
Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday.
Pregnant women.
People 50 years of age and older.
People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions.
People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including: health care workers; household contacts of people at high risk for complications from the flu and household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children younger than 6 months old.
Who shouldn't get the shot?
There are some people who should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. These include:
People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
People who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
Children younger than 6 months old (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group).
People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (They should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Where shots are available
Webster County Health Department will conduct flu shot clinics through the end of the month.
The influenza vaccine will be available to ages 9 years and older. Parents of children ages 6 months to 9 years are asked to call Jamie Saxton at Webster County Health Department at 573-4107 to schedule flu shots.
The fee is $25 or Medicare Part B. There is no additional charge for those on Medicare. Those on Medicare should bring their cards.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against the flu.
Clinics will be:
Thursday, 9 to 11 a.m., A-1 Home Healthcare, 118 S. 25th St.
Thursday, 1 to 3 p.m., Hy-Vee.
Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Daniel Pharmacy.
Oct. 22, 1 to 3 p.m., Wal-Mart.
Oct. 24, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Citizens Central.
Oct. 27, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Grandview Health Care Center, 508 Second St. N.E., Dayton.
Oct. 31, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Clare Library, 119 East Front St., Clare.
Oct. 31, 3 to 4 p.m., Hy-Capacity Engineering, 908 First Ave. S.W., Dayton.
The leaves are turning gold. There's a chill in the air.
From now until spring, influenza outbreaks can strike at any time.
Throughout October, flu shots provided by the Webster County Health Department will be available at various locations in the county.
Myths abound about flu shots.
However, there is no better way to ensure yourself against getting the flu, said Kari Prescott, director of the Webster County Health Department.
Flu shots protect against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season - though there are many different flu viruses.
Scoffers often claim that this makes the shot nothing more then a gamble - a notion Prescott disputes.
''During 16 out of the last 21 years, flu strains were correctly predicted,'' Prescott said.
Also, many of the flu viruses outside the three main strains are mutated forms of those strains, meaning that a flu shot provides a measure of protection against them, Prescott said.
''The shot works 70 to 90 percent of the time,'' she said.
Those are good odds, considering that influenza sends thousands to the hospital - or the morgue - every year, according to Prescott.
Another often-heard claim is that a flu shot can make one sick. This is untrue, Prescott said.
Though certain groups are more at risk for influenza, flu shots are designed for nearly everybody, Prescott said.
During flu season, health departments receive reports when flu outbreaks occur in neighboring states as a means to track the spread of influenza strains.
In addition to getting a flu shot, people can help stop the spread of influenza by frequently and thoroughly washing their hands and covering their nose and mouth with their elbow when they cough and sneeze, Prescott said.
Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net
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