Published: October 22, 2008 12:25 am      

Flu vaccine clinic Thursday

FAIRMONT — Call it a sign of the season: the first flu vaccine clinic offered by the Marion County Health Department takes place Thursday.

From 9 a.m.-3 p.m., residents 18 and older can get their flu shot, said Cyndee Kiger, R.N. The department is located at 300 Second St.

“The flu shot is free for persons who are on standard Medicare,” said Kiger, the department’s director of nursing.

Children age 6 months to 18 can get their flu vaccination during the department’s weekly clinics from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesdays, she said.

“All indications are that the vaccine is a good match for the virus this season,” Kiger said.

Influenza or “flu” is a contagious disease which can be spread by coughing, sneezing or nasal secretions, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

The symptoms include fever, sore throat, chills, fatigue, cough, headache and muscle ache.

On average, 226,000 people are hospitalized every year and 36,000 die of the flu, most of them elderly, the CDC states.

Kiger and the CDC recommend a flu shot for children age 6 months to 18 and anyone over the age of 50.

The vaccine is also recommended for anyone who lives with or cares for people at high-risk for influenza-related complications.

These are health-care providers, particularly caregivers for children and people over 50.

The flu season typically runs from November through May, but it most often peaks in January or February.

More information is available at the county health department.

Information is also available online at the CDC’s Web site: www.cdc.gov/flu.

E-mail Bill Byrd at bbyrd@timeswv.com.