Wednesday, November 10, 2004 11:07 AM CST
Some flu vaccine to be available next week in Coles County
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
CHARLESTON -- The Coles County Health Department is urging at-risk people to take advantage of some flu vaccine that will be available at a series of clinics beginning Monday.
Despite the national shortage of the vaccine, the department got its annual allotment from a state consortium that supplies the medicine, explained Judy Booher, the department's communicable disease coordinator.
She said the department had expected about half its usual shipment from the consortium, but was able to schedule the clinics, 15 in all, because it got its regular supply.
Booher said the clinics will give the shots on a walk-in basis for people who meet one of the high-risk categories for flu. She said the department will use the "honor system" and won't make people provide proof that they meet one of the categories.
It's "extremely important" that people age 65 and older get the shots and those recipients should bring their Medicare cards for the department to complete its billing procedures, Booher said. She added that while children younger than 6 months won't get shots, their parents, caretakers and siblings should be vaccinated to try to prevent spreading the flu to the youngsters.
The other categories for receiving the vaccine are all children age 6 months to 23 months; women who will be pregnant during the flu season; residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities; children age 6 months to 18 years who are on chronic aspirin therapy; and health care workers involved in direct patient care.
Booher said the department has plenty of vaccine and should be able to accommodate everyone who comes to the clinics. Shots will be $17 for adults and $7 for children, and pneumonia vaccines will also be available for $21 for adults and $7 for children.
People who can't attend one of the clinics can make appointments for shots at the department, Booher also said. Appointments can be made by calling 348-0530 or 258-0530 after the final clinic on Dec. 3, she said.
The schedule for the clinics is:
-- Monday, Charleston Senior Citizens Center, 1-3 p.m.
-- Nov. 17, Charleston Senior Citizens Center, 9-11 a.m.; Mattoon Senior Citizens Center, 1-3 p.m.
-- Nov. 19, Oakland Senior Citizens Center, 9-10:30 a.m.; Ashmore Community Center, 1-2 p.m.
-- Nov. 22, bank in Lerna, 9-10 a.m.; Humboldt Town Hall, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
-- Nov. 23, Cougill Manor Apartments, Charleston, 9-10 a.m.
-- Nov. 29, Mattoon Senior Citizens Center, 1-3 p.m.
-- Nov. 30, Coles County Health Department, 11 a.m.- 1p.m. and 3-4:30 p.m.
-- Dec. 3, Eastern Illinois University student union Arcola-Tuscola Room, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. and 2:30-4 p.m.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 348-5733.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
CLICK TO ENLARGE
|
|
|
