ROCKFORD — The Winnebago County Health Department will continue to offer seasonal flu shots Friday and Saturday from what department spokeswoman Sue Fuller called “a small shipment” of vaccine received this week. The first of three days of clinics was held today.
The shots will be offered from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Heartland Community Church, at Colonial Village at South Alpine and Newburg roads; and at a health fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Saturn of Rockford, 343 N. Perryville Road.
The department also will offer pneumonia shots, which Fuller said are “being recommended because this flu has shown a tendency to turn into pneumonia.”
Seasonal flu shots also will be available at SwedishAmerican Health System doctors’ offices.
SwedishAmerican spokeswoman Jan Hagenlocher said today the hospital system had received the remainder of its order of seasonal flu vaccine for the year and was distributing it to its offices.
Mike Wiltse, public relations specialist for Rockford Health System, and Terese Michels, communications manager for OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, said their health systems have very limited supplies of seasonal vaccine and are waiting for substantial amounts of their order.
Wiltse said it was unlikely a patient could receive a seasonal flu shot at a Rockford Health System office until more is available. Michels said she was unsure if a shot would be available at OSF offices.
Boone County Health Department spokeswoman Ellen Genrich said the department, which held its weekly seasonal and H1N1 flu shot clinic Wednesday, has not received a new shipment of either vaccine this week.
She said the department has been administering H1N1 vaccine in county schools and will be at Caledonia School on Friday.
“After that, we’ll be out,” she said.
Seasonal flu shots from the Winnebago County Health Department are $30 and pneumonia shots are $45. The flu shots are covered by Medicare Part B, Medicare Part B supplements or Illinois Public Aid. The pneumonia shots are covered by Medicare Part B and Medicare Part B supplements.
Staff writer Mike DeDoncker can be reached at 815-987-1382 or mdedoncker@rrstar.com.
Swine flu virus is top strain worldwide
The World Health Organization’s flu chief said the swine flu virus has become the predominant flu strain worldwide.
In some countries, swine flu accounts for up to 70 percent of the flu viruses being sampled, said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s top flu official.
While most people recover from the illness without needing medical treatment, officials are also continuing to see severe cases in people younger than 65 — people who are not usually at risk during regular flu seasons.
“We remain quite concerned about the patterns that we’re seeing,” Fukuda said during a press briefing Thursday.
He said the swine flu virus appeared to be fairly stable, and samples from around the world remained very similar to when the virus was first identified in April.
With swine flu vaccination programs now under way in more than 20 countries, Fukuda said no rare or dangerous side effects had been reported, and the agency was convinced the vaccine was “highly safe.”
— The Associated Press
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