The St Joseph Health Department will be conducting its annual flu clinic on Wednesday,
October 1, 2014. The clinic will be held at the Mayes Memorial Army National Guard
Armory located at 301 North Woodbine (Faraon & Woodbine). The clinic will begin at
8:30 a.m. and run until noon or while supplies last. This clinic is open to Buchanan
County residents, aged 19 and older, and who are not pregnant. Those with privately
provided health insurance, Medicare or MO HealthNet are asked to present their card at
the clinic registration.
The flu vaccine provided by the St Joseph Health Department is a “quadrivalent”, which
means it is made to protect against four strains of flu virus. For years, flu vaccines were
designed to protect against three different flu viruses (trivalent). This included an
influenza A H1N1 virus, an influenza A H3N2 virus and one B virus. Adding another B
virus to the vaccine aims to give broader protection against circulating flu viruses.
Important facts about the upcoming flu season and flu vaccine include the following:
CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in
protecting against flu viruses.
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get the flu vaccine annually. People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant
women, people who are morbidly obese, people with chronic health conditions
like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease, and people 65 years and older.
Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of
severe flu illness.
Vaccination also is important for health care workers and others who live with or
care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.
Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too
young to be vaccinated. People who care for them and household contacts
should be vaccinated instead.
Persons who should not receive a flu shot include those who: have ever had a
severe allergic reaction to eggs; have ever had a severe allergic reaction to flu
vaccine; have a history of Guillain–Barré Syndrome; or are sick with a fever
when they go to get a flu shot (persons with fever should wait until they recover
from their illness before getting the flu vaccine).
No services will be provided at the Health Department, 904 S 10th St, on the day of the
flu clinic but will resume on Thursday, October 2nd. For more information regarding the
flu clinic, call 271-4725.
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City to hold Free Flu Clinic
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