The fight against flu season

As flu season begins to unfold, pharmacies and clinics are preparing to vaccinate thousands in Kootenai County.

The Panhandle Health District office at 8500 Atlas Road is hosting a walk-in flu clinic Friday from 1:30-4 p.m.

Melanie Collett, spokeswoman for the health district, said the time for community members to start getting their flu shots is now. Flu season in the United States can begin as early as October and last into May.

The Centers for Disease Control website states that during recent flu seasons, between 80 percent and 90 percent of flu-related deaths occurred in people 65 and older. But the CDC suggests younger people should be vaccinated as well, to reduce the risk to themselves but also to those around them with more fragile immune systems, primarily infants and the elderly.

Collett said every healthy person over the age of 6 months who doesn’t have a fever should get the flu shot. The CDC recommends waiting until the fever subsides to be vaccinated.

The vaccines for the flu come in two forms: A shot with a needle — the common form we have become accustomed to — and the FluMist.

There are three different flu shots generally offered. The trivalent, considered the standard vaccine and most commonly given, covers three strains of the virus.

The second option for needle-injected flu vaccines is the quadrivalent. As the name would suggest, it has four flu virus strains it helps protect against. The third, a high-dose option, is for those over 65 only because they are at the highest risk of death from the flu.

FluMist is a nasal mist. Some people prefer this simple and painless method that offers the protection of a quadrivalent vaccine.

For the health district’s walk-in clinic the standard vaccine, Flumist and the high-dose vaccine will be offered.

Collett said most insurances cover the costs for the flu vaccines, and most places offering the vaccines will bill your insurance for the service.

For those with no insurance or who choose to pay out-of-pocket, vaccine options and prices vary. Panhandle Health will be offering special pricing for the Friday flu-clinic, otherwise prices are based on a sliding scale per patients income.

Jamie Sedlmayer can be reached at jsedlmayer@cdapress.com