Chatham County Health Department Ready to Give Flu Vaccine


The flu. It’s just a fever and cough, right? Wrong. Hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized because of the flu every year and an average of 36,000 people die from it. Is it really worth the gamble? Chatham County Health Department officials don’t think so.

The Health Department is now offering the flu vaccine and everyone six months and older is encouraged to get it.

The flu vaccine is available in both the injectable (shot) and nasal spray form and the cost is

25. Neither the flu shot nor the nasal spray can cause the flu. The shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women. The nasal spray is approved for use in healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

“Getting a seasonal flu shot every year is the best way to protect yourself from getting and spreading the flu,” said Chatham County Health Department Nurse Manager, Cathy Schmid, R.N. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against three strains of flu: influenza A H3N2 virus, influenza B virus, and the 2009 H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season. Since the 2009 H1N1 strain is included in this year’s seasonal vaccine, there is no need to get a separate 2009 H1N1 vaccination this year.

Flu vaccinations will be available at the Chatham County Health Department on Monday through Friday. For more information please call the Chatham County Health Department at 356- 2441.

For more information on the 2010 flu vaccine please go to www.cdc.gov.


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