The Carter County Health Department has scheduled community flu vaccination clinics from noon to 4 p.m. today at Wal-Mart and at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Central Park Dec. 2 beginning at 5 p.m.
The clinics will be open to anyone who desires a vaccination. FluMist will also be available for individuals ages 2 through 49 who have no chronic health conditions, including asthma and heart disease.
Annual vaccination against influenza is strongly recommended for the following groups:
* All individuals, including school-aged children, who want to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others
* All children 6 months through 18 years of age
* All people over 50 years of age
* Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season
* Adults and children who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
* Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus)
* Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities
* Health care personnel
* Healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of children under 5 years and adults over 50 years, with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children under 6 months old
* Healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.
People should not get a flu vaccination if:
* They are ill on the clinic date with fever, chills, vomiting or diarrhea
* They are allergic to eggs or any component of the vaccine
* They have had Guillian Barre’ Syndrome. Talk with your physician first
FluMist is not recommended for:
* Adults older than 50 years of age or children between 6 months and 2 years of age
* Children younger than 5 with asthma or one or more episodes of wheezing within the past year
* People with long-term health problems
* Anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders
* Anyone with a weakened immune system
* Children or adolescents on long-term aspirin treatment
* Pregnant women
Generally, the flu peaks in January and February in our community. The flu vaccine remains the best way to prevent the illness and its severe complications. Immunity develops in one to two weeks after receiving the vaccine.
It is also good time for people to evaluate whether they also need a pneumonia vaccination.
The pneumonia vaccination reduces a person’s risk of developing bacterial pneumonia.
