What other papers are saying
By Staff
Flu shots now available to everyone in state: Go get yourself one
The weather may not seem like it, but it is still the flu season.
Any Alabamian who wishes to reduce the risk of contracting influenza is now eligible to receive influenza vaccine.
Previously, only high-risk persons in specific priority groups were to be vaccinated.
Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer, said, "This offering will help decrease the transmission of influenza in the state and should help clinics utilize the remaining vaccine to the greatest extent possible."
Physicians and pharmacists in Alabama are being sent 46,000 doses of influenza vaccine this week. Less than 5,000 doses of vaccine remain in county health departments.
Most county health departments had been under strict guidelines to only deliver the vaccinations to those who fit a small category of high-risk people.
Now the shots are available to everyone.
Seven cases of influenza have already been confirmed in Alabama this season.
The incidence of influenza usually peaks in January and February in the state.
Influenza (the flu) is a serious disease. For some individuals the flu is a minor illness, but for the elderly and those with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, cancer or immune disorders, the flu can have fatal consequences.
The influenza vaccination is 70-90-percent effective in preventing infection in healthy adults. It is only about 30-40-percent effective in preventing influenza in the frail elderly, therefore it is important not to expose them to the influenza virus.
This is why it is so important for health care workers to get vaccinated.
More than 1400 people die from the flu and pneumonia combined each year in British Columbia.
A person can be infected with the virus and pass it along to others without even knowing it.
The vaccine actually prepares and boosts your immune system to help you fight the virus.
There is strong evidence that people who get the flu shot each year are better protected than those who did not get the shot. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get your annual flu shot.
