Peak of Flu Season Approaching; Get Vaccinated Now

 
 

February, the peak of flu season, is just a couple weeks away, but Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch said it’s still not too late to get your flu shot. With the H1N1 virus now widespread across 35 states, including Indiana, it is becoming increasingly important to get those vaccinations.

Lynch said it takes about two weeks to build an immunity after getting vaccinated.

“Any time’s a good time to get the flu vaccine. It’s not too late to get it now; generally, around February is when we start seeing the peak as far as flu season goes, so obviously – if you’re looking at about two weeks to start building an immunity after getting a flu vaccine – there’s still time. Even March is a good time, because you see flu carried on into June. Just because flu season is technically over, that doesn’t mean that we’re still not carrying around viruses that carry the flu strain,” Lynch said.

You must be at least six months old to get the vaccine, or at least two years old to get the nasal vaccine. The flu vaccine does help protect against H1N1, Lynch said.

If you have health insurance, you can get the vaccine from CVS or Walgreens. If you have no insurance or you have Medicaid, the Starke County Health Department will administer vaccines for $2 for children or $20 for adults; they do not bill insurance. Appoints are necessary; call (574) 772-9137 for more information.

Symptoms of the flu include a fever, headache, coughing, sneezing, and general fatigue and body aches.