Flu Vaccines
Where
is flu vaccine offered in Whatcom County?
Key Facts about Flu Vaccine
When should you get flu vaccine?
What
is the flu?
Why should pregnant women get the flu vaccine?
Tips to protect yourself and others from flu and other respiratory diseases
Where is flu vaccine offered in Whatcom County?
Contact your usual health care provider for vaccine.
Community Seasonal Flu Clinics - Flu vaccine may also be available at your doctor's office or pharmacy.
H1N1 Flu Clinic Schedule
A list of community flu
clinic locations will also be available at the health department
at 509 Girard or the immunization clinic located at 1500 N. State
Street.
Key Facts About Flu Vaccine
See the Key Facts
About the Flu Vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention for information about:
The best time to get flu vaccine is October and November. The flu season is typically between December and March with the peak month varying by year. However, if you miss getting the vaccine by November, get the vaccine anytime throughout the flu season.
For children less than 8 years old who are getting the flu vaccine for the first time, two doses of vaccine are given one month apart.
Why should pregnant women get the flu vaccine?
While pregnant women are advised to wait until after giving birth to get most vaccines, the influenza vaccine is specifically recommended during pregnancy. This is because women are at an increased risk of suffering complications and hospitalization if they become ill with influenza while pregnant.
Pregnant women are at increased risk because they:
- Have decreased lung volume
- Have increased blood volume (which leads to increased fluid in the lungs)
- Have decreased immunity
Use
of the Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine
It should be noted that vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is always an option for healthy persons aged 2-49 years who are not pregnant.
What Is the Flu?
Influenza, also known as the flu, is contagious and caused by a family of influenza viruses. It is spread by coughing, and sneezing, as well as touching eyes, nose, and mouth with contaminated hands. The flu is different from a cold. Flu usually starts suddenly and can cause fever, headache, extreme tiredness, sore throat, cough and body aches. Although most of us who get the flu only have to miss a few days from school or work, the flu causes thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year among the high-risk groups. For more information about the flu, how it spreads, and who are the high-risk groups, see Influenza:the Disease .
Tips to Protect Yourself and Others from Flu and Other Respiratory Diseases
Take the following simple steps to help prevent the spread of flu and other respiratory diseases.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use a hand sanitizer.
- Cover your mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough.
- Use a tissue to wipe your nose.
- Stay home to avoid spreading germs if you or your family members are coughing, sneezing or have aches or fever associated with the flu.
- Wear a mask to cover your face in a medical office, if asked.
- For more tips on preventing the spread of germs, see the Preventing the Spread of Germs Fact Sheet
 .
Other Sources for Flu Information
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/flu
The Washington State Department of Health Flu News at http://www.doh.wa.gov/FluNews/
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