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Mecklenburg County Health Department nurses will begin offering seasonal flu shots Tuesday at its two locations, 249 Billingsley Road and 2845 Beatties Ford Road.
Vaccine to fight the new H1N1 influenza is not yet ready, but shots to protect against the seasonal influenza are available in a variety of locations, including area drug stores and doctors' offices.
The Mecklenburg health department will start taking appointments Monday by calling 704-336-6500. The vaccine for children is free. For adults, the charge is $25. Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance policies cover that cost.
The Gaston County Health Department will begin offering seasonal flu shots Sept. 21 at the 991 W. Hudson Blvd. office. About 200 shots will be available each morning and afternoon, starting at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost will be $34 for the shots, but free for those with insurance coverage.
Health officials encourage everyone to get the seasonal flu vaccine, but especially those who are at high risk for developing complications from the flu. They include older people, young children and anyone with chronic medical conditions.
Older people are not as susceptible to the new H1N1 flu virus because they have been exposed to related viruses in the past, health experts say. For that reason, older people will not be among the first to receive the new vaccine when it arrives, probably in October.
Those who will get priority for the first doses of H1N1 flu vaccine will be pregnant women, healthy children, teenagers and young adults, parents and others who take care of children under 6 months, anyone who has a chronic medical condition, health care workers who have direct contact with patients and emergency medical responders.
