Community Corner

VNA Offers Flu Shots at Polls

Not Many Takers, But Still a Good Idea For Those Who Took Advantage

In addition to casting their votes, residents who came to the polls today between 9 a.m. and noon had an opportunity get a flu shot, courtesy of the Ledyard Regional Visiting Nurses Association.

VNA nurse Janet Hargrave was giving the shots at the Ledyard Center School, although business was slow. As noon approached she had given only nine shots.

But for those nine people who took advantage of the service Tuesday, they are much better off, she said.

Find out what's happening in Ledyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"If you get the flu, you will be out of work for four or five days," said Hargrave, who was the school nurse at Gallup Hill School for 28 years before she retired. "It's a lot of body aches, high fever, and there are always deaths with the flu, especially among older people and the very young."

Hargrave said the H1N1 vaccine is included in the regular vaccine this year. "So it's all taken care of with one injection, rather than two like a couple of years ago," she said.

Find out what's happening in Ledyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She attributed the low number of requests Tuesday in part to the very successful flu shot clinic the Ledyard VNA conducted a few weeks ago at the senior center. School employees may get shots any day at the school nurse's office, and residents may get a flu shot any day at the VNA office in Town Hall.

"I haven't heard that this is supposed to be a bad year, and usually you hear that all over the place," Hargrave said. But then, the flu season doesn't really get really under way in earnest until December or January, she added.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here