Staying Healthy Flu Season 2011-2012

It's Time To Get Your Flu Vaccine!

The Centers for Disease Control advises that everyone 6 months old and older should get their Seasonal Flu Vaccine to stay healthy this winter.

Staying healthy this flu season is easy with a Seasonal Flu Shot.  To protect you & your family against the flu this season, contact your Lamprey Health Care Center to make an appointment or to find out when the next Flu Clinic will be held at your Center.

2011-2012 Flu Shot Costs at Lamprey Health Care

Flu shots are available to the public as well as Lamprey Health Care patients.  Call us today to get your flu vaccination.

Flu Vaccines for Children - $5.00
Flu Vaccines for Adults - $25.00
Flu Vaccines for Seniors - FREE (with Medicare card)
Preservative-Free Flu Vaccines - $30.00
Flu-Mist Vaccine - $45.00


Who Should Get the Seasonal Flu Vaccine?

The CDC says Everyone!  For the first time, all people 6 months and older are recommended for annual influenza vaccination.   This year's flu vaccine will protect against three viruses (an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season).

While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it’s especially important that the following groups get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications: 

  1. Pregnant women
  2. Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
  3. People 50 years of age and older
  4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
  5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
  6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
    1. Health care workers
    2. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
    3. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

 For the full list of people at high risk of serious flu complications see People at High Risk of Developing Flu–Related Complications.

Use of the Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine

It should be noted that vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is always an option for healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Who Should Not Be Vaccinated

There are some people who should not get a flu vaccine without first consulting a physician. These include:

  • People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
  • People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
  • People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
  • Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group), and
  • People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)

Types of Flu Vaccines

There are two types of flu vaccine available.

  • The flu shot — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions, and pregnant women.
  • The nasal spray vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine" or FluMist®). LAIV is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

 * "Healthy" indicates persons who do not have an underlying medical condition that predisposes them to influenza complications.

Symptoms of Flu

Symptoms of flu can include:

  • Fever* or chills
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue (tiredness)
  • Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.  These symptoms are usually referred to as "flu-like symptoms."


2011-2012 Seasonal Flu Links:

Frequently Asked Questions about the 2011-2012 Flu Season, click here.

Key Facts about the 2011-2012 Vaccination Information, click here.

Key Facts about the 2011-2012 Seasonal Flu Vaccine (Shot), click here.

Key Facts about the 2011-2012 Seasonal Flu Vaccine, SPANISH click here.

For more information on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), click here.