The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is now offering flu vaccinations at its clinic at 1005 W. Worley St. No appointment is needed.
The seasonal flu vaccines are available for anyone six months or older. There are two types of vaccines: injectable and FluMist. Both are free to children six months to 18 years. For adults 19 years or older, the injectable vaccine is $25 and FluMist is $30. FluMist can only be given to healthy non-pregnant people between ages 2 and 49. A wide variety of medical insurances are accepted.
According to city spokeswoman Geni Alexander, this year’s flu season will be unpredictable.
“In recent years, we’ve run the gamut between higher degrees of illness and less severe illness,” she said.
Alexander said the best protection against the flu is to get vaccinated.
This year’s flu program is quite similar to last years’, as it allows walk-in patients to clinics and will host some outreach clinics later this fall to the surrounding areas of the county, Alexander said.
Michael Cooperstock, medical director of MU Health Care’s Infection Control Department, said most individuals who catch the flu recover on their own without medical help. However, some individuals with chronic health conditions, such as asthma, are of higher-risk to get more serious complications that can lead to dangerous illness or death.
“All MU Health Care physicians and staff are immunized annually,” Cooperstock said. “The hospital system is preparing for the upcoming flu season by offering vaccinations to in-care patients and patients who visit the hospital clinics.”
Vaccinations, which come in injectable and nose spray form, will be available at the hospital in a week or two.
More than 1,300 Missourians in 2009 died from the flu and/or pneumonia, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The flu is usually spread person to person, especially if they cough or sneeze in public.
An individual person can also get the flu if he or she has the flu virus on his or her hands and touches the mouth or nose. If someone does catch the flu, he or she should stay home and get at least 24 hours of rest after a fever is gone and he or she has stopped taking fever-reducing medications.
The program, now with more funding from sponsors such as MU Children’s Hospital, will host free vaccine clinics to not only elementary schools in Boone County, as with previous years, but to middle schools as well.
“This just makes it that much easier for parents to get their kids vaccinated,” Alexander said. “Free flu vaccine for kids is a huge benefit for the community.”
Public nurses will come to participating schools in early October to deliver vaccinations.
