FAIRFIELD, Connecticut – It’s that time of the year again, fall has arrived and there are many viruses that can cause respiratory illness including the flu circulating around the country. You can take preventative steps every day against the flu, but the single best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated! It is recommended that everyone over the age of 6 months receive the flu vaccine every year. It takes about 2 weeks after the flu vaccine for the body to produce antibodies against the flu virus so now is a good time to get protection for this flu season.
The Health Department will host two flu clinics this season for adults and children age 5 and older (for children under the age of 5 please call Public Health Nursing at 203-256-3150). These clinics will be held on Tuesday, October 4th from 10am-7pm and Wednesday, October 5th from 11am-5pm. Both clinics will take place at the Fairfield Senior Center Gymnasium (100 Mona Terrace, Fairfield).
The flu vaccine will be available as an injection for healthy people age 5-49. There will be NO nasal spray this year as it is no longer recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For more information as to why the nasal spray is no longer available, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/nasalspray.htm. High dose injectable vaccine will also be available for those ages 65 and over. As you get older, your immune system gets weaker. The high dose vaccine is made to promote a stronger immune response to the flu than a regular flu shot. The Pneumonia vaccine, Pneumovax 23, will also be available at these clinics.
For a quicker visit, patients can print out the vaccine consent form at fairfieldct.org/health and bring it completed. Patients should also have their insurance card with them and wear clothes that make it easy to expose the upper arm.
For questions about the flu vaccine, call your primary care physician. If you have questions about the flu clinics, please contact the Public Health Nursing Office at 203-256-3150.