Additional Flu Shot Clinics Scheduled for October
Dickinson County joins the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in encouraging all residents to get their yearly flu vaccination. “The flu vaccine is safe and it saves lives,” said Dickinson County Public Health (DCPH) Registered Nurse Cyndy Powers. “Healthy people, including healthy children and young adults, can get very ill from the flu and can spread the flu to others. By getting a yearly flu vaccine you can protect yourself from illness, and protect those around you.” It’s especially important to be vaccinated if you have regular contact with people more vulnerable to the complications of flu, including babies, children with asthma, and the elderly.
The cost per vaccination at DCPH is $25, and only one shot is needed for complete vaccination. Those interested in receiving the vaccine can call DCPH at 712-336-2682. The October flu clinic hours are as follows:
Date andTime
Monday, October 3, 2:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Wednesday, October 5, 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Monday, October 10, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Monday, October 17, 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Wednesday, October 19, 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Monday, October 24, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Wednesday, October 26, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
The CDC recommends annual influenza vaccinations for everyone 6 months of age and older. This year’s flu vaccine is plentiful and protects against the three most common flu viruses expected to circulate this year, including the 2009 H1N1 virus.
Influenza is a respiratory illness that most often causes fever, headache, extreme tiredness, muscle pain, dry coughing, sore throat, and runny nose. In children, diarrhea sometimes accompanies the respiratory symptoms. The flu virus is spread when people who are ill cough or sneeze without covering their mouths and noses. Others get sick when they breathe in the air containing the flu virus. A person can also get the flu by touching a surface or object (like a door handle) that has been touched by someone with the flu (who coughed into their hand), and then touching their own mouth, eyes, or nose.
For more information on influenza, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/Cade/Influenza.aspx?pg=FluHome. For information about the influenza vaccine, including where you may find a local vaccine provider, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/Cade/Influenza.aspx?pg=FluVaccine.
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