You may be startled to notice that flu shots are now available at HealthCARE Express. Already? It’s only September.
“We have already started to see flu cases this year,” said Dr. Tim Reynolds. “This year all of our clinics are starting to offer flu shots in September rather than late October or November. Flu shots only have effective rates of about three months, so we are encouraging patients to consider getting a flu shot now and then again in November to cover them throughout flu season.”
HealthCARE Express offers the flu vaccine during normal business hours and on Saturdays. In Texarkana those hours are weekdays 8 a.m. to midnight and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. I nLongview those hours are weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Throughout the entire flu season, the vaccines will be more plentiful this year than last, government officials say, and the federal government is advising local residents to take advantage of that fact. Last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced a revision to its recommendations for the annual vaccination. The recommendation was changed to include everyone more than six months of age. The old recommendation was for individuals ages 18 to 49.
The flu, or influenza virus, is an infectious virus that is transmitted through the air by coughing and sneezing or by making contact with other contaminated objects. According to estimates released by the CDC on Thursday, the virus is believed to have caused 23,000 deaths a year from 1976-2007. The H1N1 flu pandemic is believed to have been linked to 8,870 – 18,883 deaths last year.
The new flu vaccines will include the A and B strains of seasonal flu along with H1N1 virus.
For more information on the flu vaccine, call 903-791-WELL (Texarkana) or 903-759-WELL (Longview).
