The Guilford County Department of Public Health is sponsoring flu-shot clinics in the area in upcoming days. The department's most recent news release follow:
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The Guilford County Department of Public Health is urging adults to take precautions against influenza or "flu" by getting a flu shot. The Department of Public Health will hold flu shot clinics for adults today; Thursday, October 25; and Monday, October 29 at the 1100 E. Wendover Avenue and 501 E. Green Drive locations. The clinics will be held from 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 641-5563 for Greensboro or 845-7699 for High Point.
The flu shot will cost $25 per dose. If you have insurance coverage with one of the following companies, you will only be required to bring your insurance card and the appropriate co-pay amount.
-- Aetna
-- Blue Cross Blue Shield
-- CIGNA Health Care
-- MedCost General
-- MedCost Preferred
-- Medicaid
-- Medicare Part B
-- Partners Health Care
-- United HealthCare
The patient's name must appear on the insurance card. Medicare supplements will not be accepted. If you do not have insurance coverage, you must pay the $25 fee. Cash, personal check, and credit card (Visa, MasterCard and American Express) payments are accepted.
Although a flu shot is recommended for anyone who wants to decrease his risk of getting the flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is particularly important for certain persons to receive the vaccination. The CDC encourages the following groups to receive a flu shot:
-- children aged 6-59 months
-- pregnant women
-- persons 50 years of age and older
-- persons who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities
-- persons of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (diabetes, HIV, etc)
-- persons who live with or care for those listed above
-- health care workers.
Healthy persons aged 5-49 years who are not pregnant may receive the nasal-spray flu vaccine, which may be available from your health care provider.
In addition to getting a flu shot, the Department of Public Health recommends the following tips to reduce the spread of germs:
-- Frequent and thorough hand washing
-- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put the used tissue in trash can.
-- If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or bended elbow, not your hands.
-- Stay home when you are sick
-- Stay away from others who are sick
-- Eat healthy foods
-- Get enough rest to avoid flu and other viruses and colds.
For more information about flu or the flu vaccine, contact your health care provider or the Guilford
County Department of Public Health at 641-7777. You may also visit the Department of Public Health's website at www.guilfordhealth.org and click on the flu informational campaign at the top of the home page, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website at www.cdc.gov/flu
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Flu might seem to be a minor disease, but every year about 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu or its complications, and more than 36,000 people die of it. So if you have access to a flu shot, by all means take advantage of it.