Flu shots available at more places

This is the time of year that public health officials urge the public to get a flu shot.

The availability of flu shots has exploded in recent years. Once the domain of county public health departments and doctor's offices, flu shots are now sold and administered at numerous pharmacies.

Robin Poole, immunization coordinator for Henry County Public Health, said that just a few years ago, her office was providing 1,200 doses a year. Now it gives closer to 600-800 doses a year. Poole said she doesn't mind that people are turning to pharmacies for the shots. She just cares about them getting immunized.

'It was difficult at first because we were used to ordering so many vaccines, but people weren't using them,” she said. 'Now we know not to order as many.”

Poole said health departments do not see themselves as being in competition with private pharmacies to deliver flu shots.

'By the time you factor in the cost of the vaccine, needle, alcohol, band-aid and nurse's time, we don't make any money on flu vaccines,” she said.

Poole said October is the best month in which to get a flu vaccine, but it's never too late. She said peak flu season usually arrives a few months later.

'That doesn't mean flu isn't here now,” she said. 'It takes 7-10 days for the flu vaccine to cover you.”

How flu vaccines work

According to the Mayo Clinic, influenza is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system, meaning your nose, throat and lungs. The Centers for Disease Control's website says that millions of people get the flu every year, and thousands or even tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year.

'An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu,” the CDC reports. 'Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death in children.”

Vaccines work by introducing a dead or weakened version of the disease into the body. According to livescience.com, the body produces antibodies to fight the infection. After the threat has passed, immune cells called memory cells remain in the body and allow it to quickly produce antibodies to fight that bacteria or virus when it encounters the invader again.

Poole noted that her office charges $35 for a flu shot, which patrons can pay for at the counter or through their insurance, if their insurance covers flu shots and if the public health department has been credentialed with that insurer.

Lynn Fisher, public health nurse at Washington County Public Health, said her office stocks adult flu vaccines, too, but is limited in who it can bill. For instance, she said her office can bill Medicare, but not necessarily all supplemental Medicare programs.

Jefferson County Public Health administrator Chris Estle said her office no longer stocks adult flu shots because billing the insurance providers has become too cumbersome and time-consuming.

'When I started at the health department 12 years ago, we ordered 800-900 doses of flu vaccine,” Estle said. 'But things have changed, and pharmacists are able to administer the vaccines. You don't even need an appointment now.”

Though Jefferson County Public Health does not carry the adult flu vaccine, Estle said it's still the hub for emergency response. For instance, during the H1N1 flu outbreak from 2009-2010, the only place that received the vaccine were local public health departments.

'In a disaster, that is where emergency supplies will end up going,” she said.

The public health departments in Washington, Henry and Jefferson counties, just like every county in the state, offer a free children's flu vaccine. That program is available to children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years.

Children eligible to receive the Vaccines for Children Program are those enrolled in Medicaid, children who do not have health insurance and children who are American Indian or Alaskan Native.

Fisher said her office does close to 300 children's flu vaccines a year, and vaccinated 765 adults against the flu last year. She said that number has declined over time as more people get their flu shots elsewhere.

Fisher said flu vaccines are recommended for everyone 6 months old and older, with rare exceptions. The Union asked her if pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems should avoid the vaccine, and she said that, on the contrary, those are the people who need it most.

'Unless you're allergic to something in the vaccine, you should get it,” she said. 'The flu shot is especially recommended for pregnant women, children under 5, and adults with lung or heart diseases like emphysema, diabetes or kidney failure.”