CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – Health Officer Kevin Thomas encourages all residents of Cape May County to get vaccinated to help protect themselves and others from influenza. “It is that time of year to start thinking about getting your annual flu shot. The timing of the flu season is unpredictable, and it is important to get vaccinated before flu activity starts,” said Thomas. “The flu vaccine is safe and remains the best way to protect yourself and others from the flu. Because the body’s immunity against the flu virus declines over time, and because flu viruses are constantly changing, it is important to get vaccinated every year,” he added. Cape May County residents are encouraged to prevent infection by taking simple everyday measures such as washing hands, using hand sanitizer, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying at home when sick. These efforts along with getting vaccinated help stop the spread of respiratory illnesses including flu. The Cape May County Department of Health offers many flu clinics throughout the county for all ages, and several are already set. To keep up to date on all of the county’s flu clinics, check the website at www.cmchealth.net, call the county’s flu hotline at (609) 463-6581 and “like” the Cape May County Department of Health on Facebook.
Early Bird Gets the Worm (or free flu shots)! The Department of Health will hold its first free flu clinic on Sunday, September 25 from 12 to 4 p.m. at St. Frances Cabrini Church, Culliney Hall, located at 2nd St. & Atlantic Ave. in Ocean City. Consent forms are available online, at the Health Department and at the flu clinic.
Drive-Thru Clinic. The Health Department will hold its popular free drive-thru flu clinic for residents 14 years and older on Sunday, October 2 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kindle Ford Auto Plaza in Cape May Court House. For everyone’s safety, we encourage residents to fill out a consent form ahead of time. Forms can be downloaded at www.cmchealth.net, are available at the Department of Health, and will be in local newspapers the week before the clinic. Please wear a short sleeved shirt and for the safety of our staff, leave your pets at home.
Special Senior High Dose Flu Clinics are scheduled at the various county senior centers. The High Dose vaccine is a flu vaccine licensed only for seniors 65 years and older. The vaccine has four times the antigen, which is what produces antibodies to fight the flu virus. It is available at no cost for persons who have the following insurance as their primary payer: Medicare Part B, Aetna, CIGNA, Coventry, Humana, United Healthcare, Medicare Railroad, Three Rivers and United Mine Workers of America. The standard dose flu vaccine is also available for free, regardless of insurance coverage. Please bring your Medicare cards and supplemental insurance cards to the clinic. Consent forms are only available onsite or by calling (609) 465-6848 to preregister. Seniors are encouraged to preregister to decrease wait times.
• Sept. 28, 1 to 3 p.m., Lower Cape Senior Center, 2612 Bayshore Rd., Villas
• Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., North Wildwood Senior Center, 10th & Central Aves., North Wildwood
• Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Dennis Township Senior Center, 571 Petersburg Rd., Dennisville
• Oct. 13, 10 to 11 a.m., Upper Township Senior Center, 1369 Stage Coach Rd., Ocean View
• Oct. 20, 9 to 11 a.m., Ocean City Senior Center, 1735 Simpson Ave., Ocean City
Children and Families Clinics are for kids older than 6 months of age AND their families. As a reminder, kids less than 5 years of age in daycare or preschool must get vaccinated against the flu each year to attend school after December. Parents should be aware that on June 22, 2016, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (APIC) voted that the live attenuated influenza vaccine (FluMist) should not be used during the 2016-2017 flu season, so FluMist will not be available this season at our clinics.
Children and Families Clinics are now scheduled for the following dates and locations:
• Oct. 12, 3 to 5 p.m., Glenwood Ave. School, Glenwood & New York Aves., Wildwood
• Oct. 17, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Crest Memorial Elementary, 9100 Pacific Ave., Wildwood Crest
• Oct. 18, 2:30 to 4 p.m., Margaret Mace Elementary, 1201 Atlantic Ave., North Wildwood
• Oct. 19, 2 to 6 p.m., CMC Health Department, 6 Moore Rd., Cape May Court House
• Oct. 26, 4 to 6 p.m., Upper Township Health Fair, 1790 Rt. 50, Tuckahoe
• Nov. 3, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., CMC Public Library, 30 W. Mechanic St., Cape May Court House
For all county flu clinics, if you have a severe allergy to eggs or other vaccine components, or if you have been told by a doctor that you have had Guillain-Barre Syndrome, you need to receive the flu vaccine from your personal physician. If you have a severe allergy to Thimerosal, you can receive the vaccine from the Department of Health, but not at the drive-thru clinic.
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Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
