“This has been a very good flu season so far and we have been fortunate,” stated Dr. Gene LaMonica of the HSA’s Urgent Care Center. “But people should still be taking precautions to stay healthy.”

Dr. LaMonica urged people to wash their hands frequently, not to share cups or utensils with other people, to eat a balanced diet and get exercise. He also encourages people to cover nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.

“The benefits of getting a flu shot are lower at this time of year, but it can still be helpful. People can also take these other steps to help fight the flu,” Lamonica noted.

Nancy Bancroft, public health nurse for HSA, says that people can get flu shots at the Public Health Department at 820 Scenic Drive. The cost of a flu shot is $10 and people can walk in from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday thru Thursday without an appointment.

According to the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), Health-care providers should continue to offer influenza vaccine during February because influenza activity is expected to increase, and unvaccinated persons can benefit from vaccination even after influenza has been detected in their communities.

Influenza vaccine is strongly recommended for those at increased risk for serious complications from influenza (e.g., persons aged 6 months-64 years with certain chronic medical conditions and persons aged 65 years or older) and health-care providers. In addition, household contacts of high- risk persons, healthy persons aged 50-64 years, and any person who wants to reduce their risk for becoming ill with influenza should be vaccinated.

According to CDC epidemiologist Dr. Scott Harper, the flu season this year may peak later than expected. A CDC chart shows that in ten out of 18 recent years (1982-2000), the influenza rate peaked in February or March rather than in December or January. Therefore, it's important to remember that, whenever it peaks, the flu season generally lasts through March. We should not stop vaccinating until then.

Flu Factoid
More than 300,000 people can be hospitalized each year for flu.

Flu Fact
The flu is a costly burden. Sixty-nine million workdays are lost each year as a result of the flu. This can end up costing private companies an average of $2 million annually. Each year, Americans spend over $3 billion for over-the-counter remedies that only lessen the symptoms of flu but do not treat the cause. Prevention and effective treatment are important factors to help reduce the economic effects of flu. Contact your doctor for more information about the steps you can take to cut the cost of flu.

Flu Information
You can find more flu information at www.hsahealth.org or by going to www.flustar.com.

The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency (HSA) is an outpatient medical system with 9 medical offices located throughout Stanislaus County. The HSA operates the Public Health Department, an Urgent Care Center and multiple programs serving over 500,000 patients and clients each year in Stanislaus County. The HSA also is in local partnerships for the MOMobile project and the Stanislaus Family Practice Residency Program. The HSA has extensive community health information available at its web site www.hsahealth.org