Fast & Free Flu Shots–Rain or Shine

Centra Care Urgent Care and Get Healthy Florida will hold their first Fast & Free Flu Shot event today at the Sanford Centra Care.  The free community program is now in its eighth year.

Sanford Centra Care
Thursday, November 4 — 12pm – 5pm
4451 West 1st Street, Sanford, FL 32771

Centra Care at Winter Garden Village
Tuesday, November 9 — 12pm – 5pm
3005 Daniels Road, Winter Garden, Florida 34787

Colonial Town Centra Care
Thursday, November 11 – 12pm — 5pm
630 North Bumby Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803

One Shot Does It All
Unlike last flu season, you’ll only need to receive ONE flu shot to be protected against Seasonal Flu and H1N1 Flu; it will also protect against a third strain of the virus called H3N1.

Who Should Be Vaccinated?
A February vote by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), decided that beginning with the 2010-2011 influenza season, everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year.  This  “universal” flu vaccination recommendation was passed in an effort to expand protection against the flu to more people. While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it is especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications.  According to the CDC, those include:

• Young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.

• Vaccination is also important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high-risk people to keep from spreading flu to high-risk people.

• Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.

Why Get Protected?
The flu is dangerous.  According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) a study found that during the 1990s, flu-related deaths ranged from an estimated 17,000 during the mildest season to 52,000 during the most severe season (36,000 average). During a regular flu season, about 90 percent of deaths occur in people 65 years and older.  It is estimated that the 2009 H1N1 pandemic resulted in more than 12,000 flu-related deaths in the U.S. In contrast to seasonal flu, nearly 90 percent of the deaths occurred among people younger than 65 years of age.

For those unable to visit one of the Fast & Free events, Centra Care offers convenient, low cost flu shots, 7-days a week at their 18 Central Florida urgent care clinics; most are open late and weekends, visit www.centracare.org to schedule and Online No Wait Reservation and for details on $20 flu shots.

PUBLIC CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION: 407-833-9201