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New
Locations for High Risk Vaccinations
October 21, 2004
Published in the Galveston Daily
News - 10/22/04
Published in the Texas City Sun - 10/22/04
Published in the Houston Chronicle - 10/22/04
La Marque –
Plans to distribute its remaining flu
vaccine to those people at greatest risk
for acquiring the flu were announced today
by officials with the Galveston County
Health District. Over the course of the
next week limited flu shots will be available
at a series of events to be held at local
senior citizens centers.
Supplies of vaccines allocated
to clinics at District Headquarters in
La Marque and the Galveston Immunization
Clinic have been exhausted. The remaining
vaccine will be available at county senior
citizens centers during events that were
scheduled long before the national shortage
was announced. Persons meeting the high
risk requirements for receiving a vaccination
are advised to call the centers of interest
below, and sign up in advance to get a
shot. At each location there will be a
designated number of vaccinations available.
The centers where limited
vaccinations will be available are:
Friday, October
22nd, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Wayne Johnson Community Center (Carbide
Park)
4102 FM 519, La Marque
(409) 934-8148Monday, October
25th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Bacliff Senior Citizens Center
4503 11th St., Bacliff
(281) 559-2095
Tuesday, October
26th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00p.m.
Nessler Center
2010 5th Ave. North, Texas City
(409) 643-5877Friday, October
29th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Bay Vue United Methodist Church
1441 Hwy 87, Crystal Beach
(409) 684-2273 or (409) 684-6678
Previously registered patients
of the Health District’s 4C’s
clinics may still receive a flu shot at
the Galveston Clinic located in the Island
Community Center at 4700 Broadway, and
the Texas City Clinic at 2000 Texas Avenue
in Texas City. 4C’s patients may
walk in for a nursing visit to obtain
a flu shot as long as vaccine is available.
For more information about vaccine availability
for 4C’s patients call the 4C’s
NurseLine at (409) 938-2355.
Dr. Mark Guidry Galveston
County Health Authority emphasizes that
there are ways to prevent the flu for
unvaccinated persons. “You can still
protect yourself from the flu even if
you are not vaccinated as a high risk
group in this flu season,” states
Dr. Guidry. “By following these
simple recommendations a person can greatly
reduce their risk of acquiring the flu,
or spreading it to others.”
Avoid close contact
– Avoid close contact with people
who are sick. When you are sick, keep
your distance from others to protect
them from getting sick too.
Stay home when you are sick
– If possible, stay home from
work, school, and errands when you
are sick. You will help prevent others
from catching your illness.
Cover your mouth and nose
– Cover your mouth and nose
with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
It may prevent those around you from
getting sick.
Clean your hands
– Washing your hands often will
help protect you from germs.
Avoid touching your eyes,
nose, or mouth – Germs
are often spread when a person touches
something that is contaminated with
germs and then touches his or her
eyes, nose, or mouth.
Regarding the prospect of
receiving additional vaccine, Health Officials
are uncertain at this time. They stress
that the remaining vaccine is targeted
to those at greatest risk of severe consequences
of the flu, and they recommend that individuals
who are not in the high risk group practice
the above preventive measures.“Of course, if a person
develops symptoms of the flu, then seek
medical attention as soon as possible,”
says Dr. Guidry. “Early treatment
with recommended antiviral drugs can shorten
the course and reduce the severity of
the flu.”
Under the CDC guidelines
the following priority groups are being
targeted to receive any remaining vaccine:
- All children aged 6-23
months,
- Adults 65 years and
older;
- Persons aged 2-64 years
with underlying chronic conditions;
- All women who will be
pregnant during the influenza season;
- Residents of nursing
homes and long-term care facilities;
- Children aged 6 months
– 18 years on chronic aspirin
therapy;
- Health-care workers
involved in direct patient care; and
- Out-of-home caregivers
and household contacts of children
less than six months old.
For any additional questions
about the locations where flu shots will
be given to high risk persons, call the
Health District’s Office of Community
Health Programs at (409) 938-2244 or (409)
938-2291.
For More Information Contact:
Kurt Koopmann
Public Information Officer
Galveston County Health District
(409) 938-2211
kkoopman@gchd.org
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