If you haven’t had your yearly flu shot yet, you should get it, local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are advising.
All residents age 6 and older should be inoculated, the organizations say. It’s especially important for people in high-risk groups to get the vaccine, according to the CDC.
Those risk groups include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart- or lung diseases, and anyone 65 or older.
Already this season, flu cases have been reported in Kenton County and the Louisville area.
Getting a shot not only helps prevent yourself and your family from getting the flu, but also your coworkers, and your children’s classmates from being clobbered by flu symptoms.
“From year to year, one thing is certain about flu ““ it’s unpredictable,” said Lynne M. Saddler, MD, MPH, district director of health for the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department. “Whether it’s a difficult flu season, like last year, or a mild season, we know that being vaccinated against the flu is the best way to protect you and others against the virus.
“Vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school, as well as prevent hospitalizations,” Saddler added.
During the 2014-15 flu season, 3,293 cases were reported across Northern Kentucky, with five local deaths attributed to complications from the flu. Of those deaths, four were in adults 65 or older, while one child also died.
Classic symptoms, according to the health department, include sudden onset of chills, fever, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, dry cough and extreme fatigue.
Another important advisory: Children who develop flu symptoms should not be treated with aspirin, because that can lead to Reye’s Syndrome.
Monitoring for flu locally officially started Oct. 1, and the best time to get the shot is as soon as they become available, officials say. It’s getting to the point where it’s almost too late to get a shot now, but the sooner you do so, the better. That’s because the vaccine takes two weeks inside the body to become fully effective.
The Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department offers flu shots by appointment at its four county health centers:
- Boone County Health Center, 7505 Burlington Pike, Florence, 859-363-2060
- Campbell County Health Center, 1098 Monmouth St., Newport, 859-431-1704
- Grant County Health Center, 234 Barnes Road, Williamstown, 859-824-5074
- Kenton County Health Center, 2002 Madison Ave., Covington, 859-431-3345
The cost for the shots at the county health centers is $20, but nobody will be turned away because they can’t pay. Flu vaccine costs are covered by Medicaid and the federal program Vaccine for Children, for those who are eligible. People with private insurance may wish to get their vaccines form another provider, because the health department does not directly bill private insurance plans.
St. Elizabeth Physicians offers flu shots without an appointment at any of its urgent care and express care locations.
