Flu season clinics planned in county
NORRISTOWN >> The 20192020 flu season is just around the corner, and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Office of Public Health is prepared to offer this year’s flu vaccine at clinics throughout the county.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get their yearly flu vaccine as soon as vaccines become available in their community. Vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza and its potentially severe complications. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu, and then the benefits last for up to a year.
The Office of Public Health’s 2019-2020 Influenza Immunization Clinics are listed below. All sites are walkin. Accommodations for persons with disabilities will be available. The vaccinations are at no cost for Montgomery County residents.
The health office is requesting that all Medicare beneficiaries and clients with health insurance bring their insurance cards. For those attending any of the below clinics, there will be no copay or cost.
The below-planned sites are dependent upon vaccine availability:
• Thursday, Oct. 3, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Road, Pottstown
• Thursday, Oct. 10, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1001 Powell Street, Norristown
• Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Upper Merion Township Building, 175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia
• Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Abington Junior High School, 2056 Susquehanna Road, Abington
• Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Montgomery County Community College, College Hall 144/148/151, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell (Enter from Morris Road, Follow signage to Parking Bay 1A & 1B. Enter at lower glass atrium.)
• Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church (Vote & Vax), 1000 West Main Street, Lansdale
Additional Influenza Immunization Clinics held by Community Health Services, Main Line Health in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Public Health are listed below. Registration is required for the below sites and is for those 19 years of age and older. To register call: 1-866-CALLMLH.
• Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. PALM Senior Center of Ardmore, 117 Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore
• Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Lower Merion Fire Department, 35 Greenfield Avenue, Ardmore
Influenza, commonly called “the flu,” is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, or even death. It is generally spread from personto-person when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can be transmitted even before flu-like symptoms appear.
A person usually becomes sick one to three days following exposure to the virus. Typical flu symptoms include fever, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue.
While the impact of flu varies, it places a substantial burden on the health of people in the United States each year. Millions of people get the flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized, and thousands or tens of thousands of people die.
During the 2017-2018 influenza season, influenza vaccination prevented an estimated seven million illnesses, 109 hospitalizations, and 8,000 deaths associated with influenza.
To minimize your risk of contracting flu, follow these three simple steps:
• Get a flu vaccine. It’s the best way to fight the f lu!
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and wash your hands often.
• Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them. If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can be used to treat your illness.
Helpful websites for complete and up-to-date influenza information include www.flu.gov and w w w.health.pa.gov.
Find information about the flu on the Montgomery County Office of Public Health’s website at www.montcopa.org/flu or by calling 610-278-5117.