Seasonal influenza vaccine is now available at the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Warren County Health Department. Flu vaccine will be offered Oct. 20 at the Health Department from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please call the Health Department at 473-8468 to make an appointment to get your flu vaccine.
“It takes about two weeks to be protected after you get the flu vaccine so it’s a good idea to get the vaccine as soon as possible so you’re protected before flu begins spreading in your area,” said Andrea Fox, director of the Warren County Health Department. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Warren County Health Department recommend everyone 6 months and older get their yearly flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available in their community.”
Seasonal flu is a contagious illness that can be serious and even deadly. Each year, this area experiences an outbreak of flu during the fall or winter. The timing, size and severity of these outbreaks are unpredictable.
Even during mild flu seasons, local outbreaks can affect large numbers of people. Nationally, thousands of people die from influenza each year, most of them over age 65. However, the flu is capable of causing life-threatening illness in pregnant women and people of any age.
The Warren County Health Department urges vaccination as the best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Because flu strains change gradually each year, all seasonal flu vaccines this year have been updated with at least two new strains designed to help prevent infections with the strains of flu that have been causing illness in the past year. Flu vaccine is plentiful and is available from many providers, including private physicians and pharmacies.
The cost of the flu shot at the Health Department is $30. Payment can be made in the form of cash, check or credit card. The Health Department will file insurance claims for flu vaccination for patients with traditional Medicare, TennCare, Community Health Alliance, Cigna private insurance or marketplace plans or BlueCross BlueShield private insurance or marketplace plans (Networks S, P and E).
Adults with other private insurance or other marketplace plans will be charged the full amount for vaccine and vaccine administration and given a receipt to file their own claims with their insurance providers.
Children through 18 years of age who are uninsured or have private insurance plans that do not cover flu vaccination are eligible to receive flu vaccine with a nominal charge for administration of the vaccine, based on income. Uninsured adults will be charged for the flu vaccine and vaccine administration on a sliding fee scale based on income.
To make an appointment for vaccination or ask questions about flu vaccine, call the Warren County Health Department at 473-8468.