Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Shots advised as tough flu season nears

To prepare, the Clark County Health District began its first day of flu shots Monday, seeing around 1,550 parents, children, teachers and the elderly at its four immunization clinics.

The crowd at the Shadow Lane location remained steady through the two days, with people arriving as early as 7 a.m. to get in line, according to Peggy Hensley, district immunization project coordinator.

"We've stayed pretty steady with people coming in spurts throughout (Monday)," she said. "We would probably have more if it weren't for Columbus Day. A lot of people probably figure we're closed."

The district is prepared for the upcoming flu season with more than enough vaccine to immunize anyone who wants it, Hensley said. The Shadow Lane location ordered 25,000 doses this year with more available if needed.

This comes as good news after shortages during the previous two years, during which vaccinations were limited to only high-risk patients -- people 65 years old and older, women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy and people with chronic health problems such as diabetes.

"The past two years, we have had shortages," Hensley said. "We started the season only giving to the elderly and high-risk patients and had to wait awhile before we could eventually give them to everyone else outside the category."

This year children from six to 23 months old were added to the high-risk category, Health District spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore said. "They are more at risk to being hospitalized due to complications," she said.

Despite heavy flu season predictions, it looks like Nevada will experience a fairly normal year compared with the past, Larry Matheis, executive director of Nevada State Medical Association, said.

Matheis said that the past two years have been terrible because of vaccine shortages and errors in flu strain prediction by the CDC. He explained that two years ago the CDC had guessed wrong as to what strain of flu would occur, causing many patients to become ill after receiving the shot.

"The past two years were awful," Matheis said. "These instances don't happen too often but, when they do, it just exacerbates the problem. It looks like the state district system has responded to the problems of the last couple of years and has sufficient supply."

Although shots will be administered to anyone, the district strongly advises those high-risk patients to seek immunization before the flu season hits full force next month.

Hensley added that anyone who has contact with high-risk individuals should be immunized as well.

"I am a strong supporter of flu shots for anyone open to the public, people who travel, work with the elderly or just anyone who works with people in general," she said.

Older people taking care of young children should especially get a flu shot to avoid contracting anything the children could bring home from school, Hensley said. For this reason, teachers are also strongly encouraged to get immunized.

Heather Anderson, who volunteers at her daughter's school, said her work with children makes a flu shot a necessary vaccination. Her daughter joined her at the district's immunization clinic on Shadow Lane on Monday.

"My daughter just started school and I don't want her or myself to get it (the flu) and bring it back home to the rest of the family," she said. "I volunteer at her school and just think whenever you're working with a lot of people, especially children, you need a flu shot in advance to be safe."

The CDC recommends flu shots in October and November, to allow two weeks for the shot to become effective before the virus hits, while vaccination in December or later can still be beneficial.

"Don't wait until it turns cold to get a flu shot," Hensley said. "Just because it's still warm outside doesn't mean that you don't need to be prepared for when it does get colder."

Brian Snead, 39, knew about this precaution and used his day off to get immunized Monday.

"I'm getting this shot early as a precaution," he said. "I don't need to get sick and miss work. I had off today for Columbus Day and thought it'd be a good idea to get it before winter time. Flu always goes around my office and that's the last thing I need for the holidays." Many doctors are reporting that their offices are already filling up with people complaining of flu-like symptoms, Matheis said. Luckily, most local pediatricians and family physicians have plenty of flu vaccine in stock.

"Physicians I have talked to have been busy, and there seem to be some early cases coming in," Matheis said. "This makes sense because college kids are coming home from school for their first break and they wind up giving it to their younger siblings."

The flu season starts in late November in the Las Vegas area, but in October in the East, Matheis said.

Local pharmacies also have stocked up on the vaccine, and Walgreens and Rite Aid are advertising flu shot clinics over the next several weeks.

Matheis reinforced the need for early immunization, explaining that while the local flu season doesn't peak until December, tourists may be coming from areas where the flu season begins earlier.

"We're right in the cusp of the weather changing," he said. "What this does is it brings in tourists from other parts of the country, and they bring the flu with them."

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