Get Ready for Flu: Larchmont Flu Clinic Oct 30
by Judy Silberstein
(September 24, 2003) Flu may be boring, but it can also
be deadly. So get a flu shot if you’re at “high
risk,” advised
the Westchester County Health  Department
in a September 24 release.
After a summer of reading about exotic diseases like SARS
and West Nile, Larchmonters may have trouble relating to
the common flu. However, the Health Department warns that “Influenza
is a highly contagious disease that infects 10 to 20 percent
of the population in the United States each year.”
And unlike West Nile virus, which kills very few people
in this area, flu kills thousands of Americans and
leads to hospitalization of thousands more each year.
The County is conducting low-cost clinics in various locations
so residents can receive flu and pneumococcal vaccines. Anyone
covered by Medicare gets free flu shots; everyone else pays
$12. The cost for the pneumococcal vaccine is $20.
OCTOBER 30: Larchmont Flu Clinic
In the Larchmont/Mamaroneck area, the clinic will
be:
WHEN: October 30, from 1 to 3 pm
WHERE: at the Senior
Center
behind the Larchmont Public Library.
COST: Flu Vaccine free for Medicare
patients; $12 for others. Pneumonica vaccine is $20
for all.
TO RESERVE: Call Beverly Nolan at 834-8840
Advanced appointments must be made since each clinic
will only receive
sufficient vaccine to cover those who have called
ahead. |
"The flu season typically begins in October," said
Dr. Joshua Lipsman, Commissioner of Health
for Westchester County. “Getting your flu shot yearly
is the best way to protect yourself from influenza for the
whole
season.” The pneumonia vaccine is generally a one-time
event.
Dr. Lipsman is particularly concerned about reaching high-risk
individuals, such as those with chronic diseases or those
over 65. He also recommends vaccination for otherwise healthy
individuals who might transmit flu to a high-risk person.
Some people, though, should avoid the vaccines, particularly
those with a history of allergies to eggs.
For more information on influenza and flu-shot clinics,
see the Westchester
County Department of Health website.
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