Health department prepping for flu season

If there is one thing people should be urged to do over the next few months, it’s to wash their hands regularly.

That’s because the start of flu season awareness has kicked off, and the Santa Rosa County Health Department is urging locals to stay healthy and to get their flu shots before the season gets underway.

Evelyn Anderson, the clinic supervisor for the Santa Rosa County Health Department said the health department started administering the flu shots about a month ago.

“We started giving the shots a little earlier this year, I believe towards the end of September,” Anderson said.  “This is an atypical year.  The health department is anticipating flu season to start around the end of December and beginning of January (2011).”

Unlike your typical flu shot, this year’s shot will include a dose of the H1N1 vaccine.

The cost for the shot will be $20.

“If the person has Medicare Part B, we will bill them,” Anderson said. “It’s nice that it is only one shot instead of two.”

According to Anderson, the typical side effect for a flu shot is “sore arms” where the shot was administered.  The supervisor said that the H1N1 vaccine last year had the same effect, but not everyone feels the numbing effect.

“The flu shot is not a live vaccine, so they don’t have to worry about getting sick like people did with the H1N1 vaccine,” Anderson said.

The health department has an abundance of the shots according to Anderson that are available to adults and children over the age of 36 months.

1. Parents should call the health department’s immunization clinic at 983-5200 to check for availability.

Anderson said there are several ways to reduce the risk of spreading or getting the flu this season including:

-       Washing hands frequently using soap and warm water, or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

-       Covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue, and discarding the tissue after use.  Also people should be urged to cough or sneeze into a sleeve.

-       Stay home with a cough, fever or other flu like symptoms, and until symptom free without the use of fever reducing medication for 24-48 hours.

She also stressed that children who catch the flu should not go back to school until they are symptom free for 24 hours without the use of Tylenol.

Seasonal flu shots are available at the health department’s three clinic locations in Milton, Midway and Jay.  The health department is not extending their hours to administer the flu vaccine.

Sidebar

Health Department hours of operation:

                -       Milton Clinic

                        5527 Stewart Street

                        (850) 983-5200

                        Hours:  8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Wednesday

                                        8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Thursday

                                        8:00 a.m. - Noon, Friday

                -       Midway Clinic

                        5840 Gulf Breeze Parkway

                        (850) 934-4074

                        Hours:  8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Tuesday

                                        8:00 a.m. - Noon, Friday

                                        4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., 3rd Tuesday of each month

                -       Jay Clinic

                        14122 Alabama Street

                        (850) 675-4211

                        Hours:  9:00 a.m. - Noon, Wednesday only