The Logan County Health District has flu vaccine available for all age groups during the agency’s regular immunization clinics each week at the 310 S. Main St. office.
Immunization clinic hours are 9 to 11 a.m. Thursdays, and also from 2 to 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. Most insurances are accepted for flu vaccines, and debit or credit card can be accepted for payment.
Call (937) 651-6186 now to register for your vaccine.
LCHD officials said there are many misconceptions about seasonal flu and flu vaccines.
Flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle (i.e., flu shots) are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with flu viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ (killed) and that therefore are not infectious, or using only a single gene from a flu virus (as opposed to the full virus) in order to produce an immune response without causing infection. This is the case for recombinant influenza vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people receive a flu vaccine by the end of October. Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial.
As long as flu viruses are circulating, it is not too late to get vaccinated, even in January or later.
Seasonal flu outbreaks can happen as early as October, but flu activity peaks between December and February, although activity can last as late as May. Since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against flu virus infection, it is best that people get vaccinated early to get protected before flu viruses begin spreading in their community.
In addition, health district officials related that the “stomach flu” is not the same as influenza. The “stomach flu” describes illnesses with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
These symptoms can be caused by many different viruses, bacteria or even parasites.
While vomiting, diarrhea, and being nauseous or “sick to your stomach” can sometimes be related to the flu — more commonly in children than adults — these problems are rarely the main symptoms of influenza. Influenza is a respiratory disease and not a stomach or intestinal disease.