Flu Virus Now Circulating in Iowa: Vaccine is the Best Protection
Mahaska Health Partnership
MAHASKA COUNTY – The flu season appears to be off to an early start in Iowa, as the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced testing by the State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) has identified cases of influenza. While influenza activity remains low, the identification of the virus in Iowa should serve as motivation for those who have not yet received their yearly influenza vaccination to do so now.
“The flu vaccine is still your best defense against getting the flu,” MHP Public Health Coordinator Patty Malloy stressed. “However, because some of the virus strains may only be partially covered in the vaccine, it’s even more important to protect yourself and prevent the spread of illness. Remember the 3Cs: cover your coughs and sneezes, clean your hands frequently and contain germs by staying home when ill.”
IDPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend annual influenza vaccinations for everyone 6 months of age and older. It’s especially important to be vaccinated if you have regular contact with people more vulnerable to the complications of flu, including babies, children with asthma and the elderly. IDPH also recommends pregnant women be vaccinated to protect themselves and pass on some immunity to their baby.
“I’ve heard many reasons people use for not getting their vaccine,” Malloy shared. “However, many of those reasons stem from misinformation. The vaccine itself cannot infect you with the flu virus; it is made up of dead virus strains, which cannot cause the flu. Also keep in mind that the flu virus is a respiratory infection, and stomach bugs that many people classify as the flu are not.
“Many people also believe the protection doesn’t last the entire flu season, so they hold off on getting a vaccine. The standards have now changed and protection lasts approximately one year. There are many individuals who are too young, too ill or allergic to the components of the flu vaccine and are unable to obtain protection from it. It is especially important to consider getting the vaccine to protect not only you, but your loved ones as well.”
Malloy said the flu comes on suddenly and symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches. Illness typically lasts two to seven days.
MHP Public Health has Walk-In Flu Clinics on Mondays from 8 am to Noon and Thursdays from 1 to 4 pm. Regular flu vaccines are available for $25 and the high-dose vaccine for those 65 years of age and older is $30 through Public Health. Another opportunity for vaccinations for patients of the Medical Group is offered Monday through Friday from 8 am and 4 pm. This is a walk-in service offered to patients of the Medical Group or you can obtain a vaccine during a regular appointment with your primary care provider.
“Don’t forget to prevent the spread of illnesses when going the doctors’ office,” Malloy stressed. “At MHP, we have masks and hand sanitizers at each entrance and we ask people coming in with respiratory illness or flu to please wear a mask to protect others.”
Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, look us up on the web: mahaskahealth.org.
