County Holds Flu Vaccination Clinics

CREST HAVEN — The Cape May County Department of Health will be providing an additional seasonal flu vaccination clinic as well as two H1N1 clinics in the next few days.
The last seasonal clinic is scheduled for Jan. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Health Department office, located at 6 Moore Road.
The seasonal flu vaccine will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments will be taken.
All children 18 years and younger are recommended to receive an annual seasonal flu shot due to their risk of flu-related complications. The Department of Health strongly recommends that all children six months through 59 months of age attending any child-care center or preschool facility receive at least one dose of influenza vaccine.
The first H1N1 public flu clinic of 2010 will be held on today at Wildwood High School, located at 4300 Pacific Avenue in Wildwood from 4 to 7 p.m.
An additional H1N1 flu clinic will be held on Jan. 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Ocean City High School, located at 501 Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City.
Effective Dec. 16, the state Department of Health and Senior Services expanded H1N1 vaccination beyond target groups to include all persons who are interested in protecting themselves against the H1N1 flu.
Children less than 10 years of age need to receive a second dose to be fully protected. The second dose should be given ideally 28 days after the first dose, but it can be given after a minimum of 21 days.
The Department will offer both the FluMist and the injectable vaccine. FluMist is a vaccine made with live, weakened viruses that cannot grow at normal body temperature and is given via a nasal sprayer. Healthy persons 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant can receive FluMist.
Persons with a severe allergy to eggs or any of the vaccine components, who have had a severe reaction to a previous flu vaccine, or who have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome will need a prescription from their physician to get a flu vaccine.