“Busy” is certainly a word that describes the flu season preparation for the staff at Loup Basin Public Health Department (LBPHD). Their staff has begun visiting a list of nearly 50 scheduled vaccination clinics centered around this year’s flu shot.
Clinics began on September 19 with the final clinics taking place on October 25. LBPHD plans on visiting the communities of Ansley, Arcadia, Arnold, Broken Bow, Bartlett, Burwell, Callaway, Centura, Comstock, Dunning, Elba, Ericson, Greeley, Litchfield, Loup City, Merna, North Loup, Ord, St. Paul, Scotia, St. Libory, Taylor, and Wolbach.
Communications specialist Jolene Gydesen spoke with KCNI/KBBN about the clinics and what people need to bring with them when they come to the clinic, whether insured or not.
“For those that are coming to any public clinics, we do ask for them to bring their insurance cards if they are insured. So then we send it out to your insurance, which most insurances will pay the full amount. Otherwise, if you are under-insured or you are uninsured or have Medicaid, we do ask for a fifteen dollar donation if able, but we will not turn anybody away for the flu shot” said Gydesen.
She went on to say that the flu shot is recommended for most of the population, but that some ages are at a higher risk of complications should they come down with the sickness.
“The flu shot is recommended for everyone six months of age and older. Individuals who are at high risk are those who are 65 years and older, those who are pregnant, and people with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease; and then also children that are younger than the age of five. Especially children younger than the age of two, they are at very high risk of complications with the flu.”
A full calendar with dates of flu shot clinics happening across the area is available on the LBPHD website, along with several other helpful pieces of information about the flu and more.
