Walk-in flu shot clinics will be offered for veterans Oct. 14-18 in Poplar Bluff.
John J. Pershing VA Medical Center will offer the clinics from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 1F165, according to a press release.
“We are trying to make it easy for our veterans to stay healthy,” said VA Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program Manager Ashley Aubuchon. “We hope the added convenience of just dropping in for a quick, free flu shot will encourage our patients to protect themselves and their loved-ones by getting immunized.”
A one-day clinic will also be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 at community clinics in Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Farmington, West Plains and Salem in Missouri and Paragould and Pocahontas in Arkansas.
Aubuchon said studies show that getting a flu shot can reduce illness and death from influenza, and that the Centers for Disease Control recommend everyone age six months and older get a flu shot each year.
“You cannot get the flu from a flu shot, and one shot will protect you the entire flu season,” she said.
Aubuchon said there are six important steps to preventing flu, and the first is to get the flu shot. Knowing how flu is spread is second, she said, and understanding that sneezing, coughing, talking or laughing can spread flu virus in droplets and reach people up to six feet away. Frequent hand washing is critical, as flu can be spread to others about one day before a person feels sick, and up to five days after getting sick.
The third step is to recognize the symptoms of flu, such as a fever of 100 degrees F or higher, body and muscle aches, feeling tired or weak, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, nausea or vomiting.
The fourth step is to frequently clean hands and surfaces around you. Hand washing is especially important before eating or preparing food, before and after caring for someone who is sick, after coughing or sneezing, and after using the bathroom. Cleaning surfaces that are touched often (such as phones, faucets, light switches and counter tops) can also help reduce flu infections.
Covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick are steps five and six to prevent the spread of flu, Aubuchon concluded.
“The CDC says that people at especially high risk for flu complications include adults 65 years and older, pregnant women, young children, and those with asthma, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and children with neurologic conditions,” said Aubuchon. “Whether you get your shot to protect yourself, those you love, or high-risk individuals (or all three), the time to get your flu shot is now.”
Veterans who receive their flu shots outside of VA health care are asked to report their immunization to their primary care physician. Those unable to attend the flu shot clinics may still receive them through primary or urgent care.