Flu shots recommended for all ages

Local health officials recommend adults and children of every age get flu shots this fall, with plenty of vaccine and clinics available around the North Coast.

The federal Centers for Disease Control this year increased its list of people who should get the vaccine to include all children from 6 months old to adulthood, rather than previous recommendations of children with chronic health problems.

"They've just said across the board everybody should get flu shots," said Denise Sobel, flu shot coordinator for Sutter VNA and Hospice.

Vaccinations are especially recommended for young children, people with compromised health, those who work with ill people or children, pregnant women and people over 50.

"There's enough vaccine for everybody who wants it, and we hope that's a lot of people," said Mark Netherda, deputy health officer for the Sonoma County Public Health Department. "The more who get vaccinated, the less disease there is in the community."

Those who shouldn't get a flu shot are people who've had a bad reaction to the vaccine in the past, Netherda said. Requesting a vaccine without preservatives could help prevent reactions, officials said.

Pregnant women are recommended to get the vaccine without preservatives.

It's early in the flu-shot season, but there are signs people have a healthy interest in getting immunized.

Almost 10,000 people Saturday attended a Santa Rosa Kaiser Permanente flu-shot clinic, creating a terrible traffic jam and lengthy wait.

The Kaiser clinic, free to its patients, was its first of the season. It surpassed last year's clinic attendance record of 6,000 people.

"Last year was a very bad flu season," said Guy Chicoine, a Kaiser administrator. "Because of that, people are particularly vigilant about getting their flu shots early."

Annually, about 20 percent of the country's population gets the flu, and about 200,000 Americans end up in the hospital.

About 36,000 people die. Most of the fatal cases had compromised immune systems or were elderly, according to CDC statistics.

Flu season in Northern California typically is at its peak in January, February and March. It takes about six weeks after getting the shot to be fully protected, officials said.

There are many opportunities to get a flu shot.

About 100 clinics offered through Sutter VNA and Hospice are open to the public around the North Bay. Also, primary care doctors, drugstores, grocery stores and many workplaces offer vaccinations for a variety of prices.

On Dec. 6, there will be a countywide push to catch people who haven't gotten a flu shot by then. That will be "flu shot Saturday," and many sites around the county will offer the vaccinations, Netherda said.

For more information, go to the Sonoma County Public Health Web site www.sonoma-county.org/health.

To find the nearest Sutter flu-shot clinic, call (800) 500-2400 and enter your ZIP code. Sutter VNA & Hospice is a nonprofit organization, and money raised helps fund visiting-nurse services for the needy.

Sutter's clinics don't provide shots for children under age 9, Sobel said. Children 9 to 13 years old require a note from a doctor and parental permission, and teens 13 to 17 years old require parental permission.

Sutter also offers flu shots for people who are homebound. For information, call Sobel at 535-5690.

Kaiser Permanente offers daily flu vaccines to members at Kaiser's East Building from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Injectable and nasal spray vaccines are available.

Kaiser also will offer a flu shot clinic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Stein campus on Old Redwood Highway. Drive-through and walk-in vaccinations for adults and children will be available to Kaiser members.

Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital doesn't offer public flu clinics.

You can reach Staff Writers Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com and Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat.com.