| Clinic
to offer flu shots
St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics will be offering flu shots during October. Their Cottonwood Clinic will provide the immunizations on Mondays, October 4 and October 11. The Kamiah Medical Clinic will offer the shots on Wednesdays, October 6 and October 13. Pneumonia vaccinations are also available. Both clinics will offer them from 8:30-4:00 p.m. on the scheduled days. No appointments are necessary. SMHC will bill Medicare and Medicaid. “Please remember to bring your Medicare or Medicaid card,” said Theresa Uptmor, SMH Clinics Manager. “We cannot bill private insurances so others are asked to bring $20 for a flu shot and $30 for a pneumonia vaccination.” People considered at high risk for flu are health care workers; those over the age of 65; residents of long term care facilities; those with compromised immune systems; children and adults with chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems, including asthma; patients with chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes mellitus) renal dysfunction and women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season. “Some people in the high risk categories avoid getting the shot because they are afraid they’ll develop the symptoms, but that is no longer true,” said Uptmor. However, there may be some soreness at the vaccination site and possibly a light fever for 48 hours, particularly if the recipient has never been exposed to the flu strains. According to Uptmor, even with the flu shot some people may still contract the flu, but its intensity will be greatly diminished and their symptoms less severe. |
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