H1N1 Vaccination Clinic highlights National Influenza week
Many people believe that H1N1 is a thing of the past, last year’s disease, a distant memory…but is it? Influenza is unpredictable and it is very hard to know the likelihood of a future wave of H1N1 flu. However, experts do believe that the spread of H1N1 is likely to continue for several months, and warn that we should prepare for the possibility of another wave. The bottom line is that vaccination is the most important step in protecting against the flu.
This week as we observe National Influenza Week, Cobb & Douglas Public Health encourages residents to take a few minutes to protect themselves, their families, and their community, by getting vaccinated. We will host an H1N1 Vaccination Clinic on Saturday, January 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Marietta Public Health Center, 1650 County Services Parkway, Marietta, GA 30008-4010
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between mid-April and November 14, 2009, 47 million people in the United States were infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu, more than 200,000 people were hospitalized, and over 9,800 people died.
“We have plenty of vaccine available and will be administering it here on Saturday morning,” said Karen Thomas, District Immunization Director, Cobb & Douglas Public Health. According to Thomas, the higher the number of people vaccinated, the lower the likelihood of disease spread in coming months. “This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to take steps to protect themselves and their loved ones against this disease.” The vaccine is free and available to anyone six months or older. “We also want to remind parents to bring any children in who need a second vaccine,” said Thomas.
For more information visit our website at www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org.