The Importance of Getting a Flu Shot

October has just begun and Halloween is still a bit away, but it is already flu shot season. Flu shot clinics are beginning to pop up and now that CVS is open, there is a flu shot dispensery right in town.

The Ledyard Regional Visiting Nurse Association will be conducting a flu clinic on Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Senior Center.

Jean Dutton, of the LVNA said that the shot will cost $15, Medicare Part B will be accepted and that no appoitments are necessary. People should wear short-sleeved shirts for convenience.

The CVS in Gales Ferry also offer flu shots whenever a pharmacist is working and the price will vary depending on insurance coverage.

And while inaccurate rumors and overconfidence in one’s ability to stay healthy prevents people from getting the flu shot, it really is an important thing to do, according to Mary Lenzini, CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut. The more people who get the flu shot, the less likely anybody gets the flu, Lenzini said.

“The more people who get vaccinated, the less chance it has of spreading,” Lenzini said. “It is a pretty effective vaccine.”

Lenzini strongly encouraged elderly people, people with medical issues and pregnant women to get the shot, which is covered by most insurance companies or otherwise is around $14. It is children who are the most likely to pass around the disease, but adults actually get sicker from it, she said. In other countries, it is mandated that all children get the flu vaccination, but that has never been the case in the United States, Lenzini said.

While flu season is still generally considered a few months away, now is a good time to get the vaccination, as it will not wear out, she said. Conversely, it takes about two weeks to kick in, so if people wait too long it can be too late, Lenzini said.

She added that hand washing and covering one’s cold is still “one of the best things you can do,” but said the flu shot is a “very safe vaccine.” The vaccination is made each year based on what are the common flu strands in other countries, so it as effective as possible, she said.

She said many people don’t get the flu shot because they say they never get the flu, although she said this is “very, very good insurance” that will remain true. Although effective, it is still possible to get the flu after getting a flu shot, but even then people generally don’t get as sick from it, Lenzini added.

If anybody has any questions about the flu shot, they can call the Ledyard Visiting Nurse Association at 860-464-8464

Also, the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut has several clinics planned and you can find out more by calling 860-444-1111 or go to the website by clicking here. Most of the upcoming flu shot clinics put on by the VNASC can be found on the Patch calendar.

More Information About The Flu

According to the Center of Disease Control, there are between 3,000 and 49,000 flu-associated deaths each year, mostly to elderly people. Also, people who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs, children under six-months-old, people with a fever and people with a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome should not get the flu shot, according to the CDC.

For more information about the flu and the vaccine, click here.