Flu clinics begin next week

Transcript Staff

October 17, 2008 01:22 am

— With flu season approaching, the Cleveland County Health Department is preparing for its annual influenza vaccination clinics, and has scheduled times for residents to receive flu shots.
This year more than 375,000 doses of adult and child vaccine were ordered by the Oklahoma State Department of Health to be distributed to county health departments and public health care providers statewide. State health officials believe supplies of vaccine will be sufficient to meet this year's demand.
"We usually don't see our first laboratory-confirmed case of influenza until late November or early December," said Cleveland County Health Department Administrator Shari Kinney. "We hope our Cleveland County residents will use every opportunity to get vaccinated throughout the fall and winter months.
"At the current time, we anticipate having enough flu vaccine this year," Kinney said.
The Cleveland County Health Department has scheduled flu shot clinics, including clinics for those at highest risk of complications from influenza. Those at highest risk include people ages 50 and older with and without chronic health conditions; residents of long-term care facilities; people 2 to 49 with chronic health conditions; pregnant women; health-care personnel who provide direct patient care; and household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children 6 months or younger.
The high risk clinic times and locations are as follows:
· 8 to 11 a.m. Oct. 22, Noble Senior Citizen Center, 606 Maguire Rd.
·?12:30 to 4 p.m. Oct. 22, Little Axe Community Center, 1000 168th Ave. N.E.
·?8 a.m. to noon Oct. 28, Moore Brand Senior Citizen Center, 501 E. Main St.
· 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Oct. 29, Norman Rose Rock Villa, 700 N. Berry Rd.
The Cleveland County Health Department, along with the Centers for Disease Control, is for the first time urging all children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years be vaccinated. For all persons both high risk and not considered high risk who wish to reduce their chances of getting influenza, the Cleveland County Health Department will offer flu shots at the following clinic times and locations:
· 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 23, First Baptist Church Conference Center in Moore, 301 NE 27th.
· 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 24, Norman Health Department, 250 12th Ave. N.E.
People also can come to the Norman or Moore health departments on the following dates to receive flu vaccines.
· 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 7
· 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 14
· 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 21
People 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions should ask their doctor if they should be vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia, which is a common and potentially serious complication of the flu. Unlike the influenza vaccine, the pneumococcal vaccine does not need to be given every year. This vaccine is available at physicians' offices and the Cleveland County Health Department.
For more information about flu clinics, call the Cleveland County Health Department's Norman office at 321-4048 or the Moore office at 794-1591.