Lane Regional Medical Center will offer free H1N1 flu vaccinations to anyone age 10 years and older on Monday, January 18, 2010.
No appointments are necessary, and all vaccinations will be on a first come/first served basis from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Outpatient Diagnostic Center located next door to the hospital at 6550 Main Street in Zachary.
Groups recommended to receive the H1N1 vaccine are:
· pregnant females
· people who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age
· adults with chronic illness
· frontline health care workers
· people who live with or provide care for the disabled
· teachers and school staff
· anyone age 6 months and older
You should not get the H1N1 flu vaccine if you:
· have a history of hypersensitivity (allergy) to chicken eggs, egg products,
thimerosal (found in contact lens solution), or any other substance in the vaccine
· ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction after a dose of seasonal flu vaccine
· were ever diagnosed with Guillain Barre’ Syndrome (GBS)
· are currently moderately or severely ill and/or have a fever
Like other influenza viruses, H1N1 spreads from person to person through coughing, sneezing, and sometimes through touching objects contaminated with the virus; but it is very different from seasonal flu viruses. H1N1 is a new flu virus and most people have little or no immunity.
"Flu is something we should always take seriously, and vaccination is our best defense," said Dana Bellefontaine, MT (ASCP), CLSG, Lane’s Infection Preventionist.
