[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Seasonal Flu Clinic Schedule

[Press Releases]

The following press release is now available on line at:
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Health/Documents/SeasonalFlu9-10-09.pdf 
 

Press Release
September 9, 2009
 
Contact: Geni Alexander, Public Information Officer
573.874.7632 or gaalexan at gocolumbiamo.com ( mailto:grw at gocolumbiamo.com
)
 
Health Department Announces Seasonal Flu Vaccine Availability
Help Fight the Flu This Year with a Flu Vaccination
 
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human
Services will offer seasonal flu vaccine to Boone County residents
beginning next Friday, September 18th. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately 36,000 deaths result
each year from influenza. Vaccination is the best way to protect
yourself, your family and your community against the flu. 
 
The health department will offer flu shots and FluMist® at the
following times:
·         Friday, September 18th from 9 am – 1 pm
·         Monday, September 21st from 2 pm – 7 pm
 
Both clinics will be held at the health department and are open to the
public. Flu shots and FluMist® will be offered for $25. Although we
cannot bill private insurances, we do bill Medicaid and Medicare. In
addition to the seasonal flu vaccine, the health department will also
offer a pneumonia vaccine for $40. Citizens should check with their
physician first to determine if they should consider getting this
vaccine.
 
While everyone is encouraged to get a seasonal flu vaccination, the CDC
specifically targets the following populations: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 persons at high risk for complications from the
flu 
household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6
months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated) 

 
The seasonal flu vaccine offered at these clinics will not protect
against the H1N1 virus currently circulating. An H1N1 vaccine is
currently in clinical trials. If that vaccine is approved for the
public, we expect shipments to arrive later this fall. We will alert the
public when the H1N1 vaccine is available. 
 
In the meantime, you can protect yourself and your family by:washing
your hands thoroughly and frequently with warm water and soap; if water
is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
avoiding contact with sick people

 
Help protect your community by:staying home if you’re sick – at least
24 hours after fever subsides without the use of fever-reducing
medication
covering your cough and sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve –then
putting the tissue in the trash

 
For more information on flu, please call the Columbia/Boone County
Department of Public Health and Human Services at 573.874.7355 or visit
www.FightTheFluMO.com ( http://www.fighttheflumo.com/ ). 
 
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