Flu vaccine clinic scheduled for Friday

The Carteret County Health Department will hold a H1N1 flu vaccine clinic on Friday for residents at highest risk of flu illness.

The clinic will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the health department facility located at 3820 A Bridges Street in Morehead City.

The vaccine clinic is open to all vaccine target groups and will serve as a follow-up for children less than 10 years of age who had their first dose of vaccine at the department’s first clinic on Oct. 16, the health department announced. Children under 10 must have two doses spaced several weeks apart.

The health department is offering the free, voluntary vaccine program to all the target vaccine groups. This includes parents and caregivers of infants less than six months, and young children and young adults’ ages six months through 24 years of age. The department will also vaccinate pregnant women, healthcare workers, emergency medical services personnel and persons 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes and other metabolic conditions, heart and lung disease, neuromuscular diseases, weakened immune systems, or kidney or liver disease.

Both the nasal spray and shot form of vaccine will be available.

“While we still have not received as much vaccine as we would like, we will continue to offer what we have to those at highest risk of flu illness and complications,” said Health Department Director Dr. J.T. Garrett. “We ask that other members of the public not in the target groups that want this vaccine to be patient as this program expands and more vaccine become available.”

Persons 65 and over are not recommended to get the early doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine because people of this age group are least likely to get sick with this virus, the health department said.

The Health Department stresses the importance of everyday health habits to avoid getting sick, or from passing illness on to others. Wash hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer; cough and sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow or sleeve; eat a well balanced diet; and get adequate rest. If you become sick with flu-like symptoms, stay home from work or school and do not return until your fever has gone away for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.

For more information call 252-728-8432 or 252-728-8550 or visit their Web site.