Shot in the arm: Flu vaccine aplenty
Editor's note: With info box and list of South Shore flu clinics below.
Public health officials hope to vaccinate more people against the flu this season than ever before, thanks to an expected record number of vaccine doses being delivered by manufacturers.
''In previous years we've had a shortage, but it looks like there may be enough (this year) that I'd recommend everyone get it,'' said Stephen J. White, chairman of the Hingham Board of Health.
White said the town will offer flu shots at town hall several times this fall, and there will be dozens of other government-, church- and health service-sponsored flu clinics across the South Shore.
Such widespread flu-vaccine distribution, with minimal hiccups, would be a welcome change.
Last year, public clinics in the area were delayed until December, even though flu typically emerges in November. In 2004, some at-risk people had to to wait months to be vaccinated because of a vaccine shortage.
Nationally, manufacturers plan to deliver at least 132 million vaccine doses this year, which is 12 million more than last year and the largest number ever produced, according to Curtis Allen, spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
''We've been told there'll be plenty of flu vaccine,'' said Wade Saucier, public health director in Easton.
In Massachusetts, that means free publicly sponsored flu clinics should be able to start in November, according to Donna Rheaume, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health. The department has begun to distribute some of this year's stock of state-supplied vaccine, Rheaume said.
It's impossible to predict how bad this flu season will be, Allen said. The season runs through March or April.
Seasonal flu leads to about 200,000 hospitalizations and kills about 36,000 people a year nationwide.
''More people should be vaccinated,'' Allen said. ''Ideally, if everyone were vaccinated, we wouldn't have flu at all.''
People can wait for the free public clinics to start next month or get a shot earlier at another clinic. The vaccine is already being administered at pharmacies, supermarkets and other public locations; typically, a modest fee is charged.
CVS is holding flu-shot clinics in Pembroke and Whitman this week. CVS clinics may not be open to people of all ages, and a flu shot costs $30 unless the person has participating health insurance coverage, according to CVS pharmacist Karen DiStefano.
Public health officials recommend flu shots for:
<ul>
<li>Children ages 6 to 59 months old.</li>
<li>People 50 and older.</li>
<li>People with certain medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes.</li>
<li>Women who will be pregnant during the flu season.</li>
<li>Health-care workers and others who are in contact with high-risk populations, such as children or the elderly.</li>
</ul>
Upcoming local flu clinics
The following flu clinics are planned this month on the South Shore. Not everyone is eligible to get shots. The fee varies and may be covered by insurance. Call the clinic location for more information.
Abington
-Oct. 22, 3 to 7 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 375 Centre St.
Braintree
-Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shaw's, 125 Pearl St.
-Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 300 Grove St.
-Oct. 16, 2 to 6 p.m.
Rite Aid, 11 Pearl St.
Canton
-Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to noon
United Church Of Christ, 1541
Washington St.
-Oct. 18, 2 to 6 p.m.
Rite Aid, 4 Washington St.
Carver
-Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shaw's/Osco, North Main Street.
-Oct. 19, 3 to 7 p.m.
CVS, 100 D North Main St.
Cohasset
-Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CVS, 790 Chief Justice Cushing
Highway
-Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shaw's, 739 Chief Justice Cushing Highway
-Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 400 Chief Justice Cushing Highway
Hingham
-Oct. 15, 3 to 7 p.m.
Stop & Shop, Lincoln Plaza
-Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CVS, 86 South St.
Kingston
-Oct. 19, 3 to 7 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 160 Summer St.
Norwell
-Oct. 9, 3 to 7 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 468 Washington St.
Pembroke
-Oct. 19, 3 to 7 p.m.
CVS, 44 Mattakessett St.
Plymouth
-Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stop & Shop, State Road
-Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CVS, 2253 State Road
-Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CVS, 731 State Road
-Oct. 25, 3 to 7 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 129 Samoset St.
Quincy
-Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hannaford, 475 Hancock St.
-Oct. 16, 2 to 6 p.m.
Rite Aid, 475 Hancock St.
-Oct. 18, 2 to 6 p.m.
Rite Aid, 132 Granite St.
-Oct. 22, 3 to 7 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 495 Southern Artery
-Oct. 22, 3 to 7 p.m.
Star, 130 Granite St.
Randolph
-Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shaw's, 121 Memorial Parkway
-Oct. 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shaw's, 121 Memorial Parkway
Scituate
-Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CVS, 100 Front St.
Sharon
-Oct. 16, 2 to 6 p.m.
Rite Aid, 800 South Main St.
Stoughton
-Oct. 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 278 Washington St.
-Oct. 19, 3 to 7 p.m.
Shaw's, 666 Washington St.
-Oct. 27, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
BJ's Wholesale Club, 901 Technology Center Drive
Weymouth
-Oct. 11, 3 to 7 p.m.
Wal-Mart, 740 Middle St.
-Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wal-Mart, 740 Middle St.
Whitman
-Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CVS, 351 Bedford St.
-Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stop & Shop, 475 Bedford St.
Source: flu.masspro.org
Kyle Alspach may be reached at kalspach@enterprisenews.com. Brian Benson may be reached at bbenson@ledger.com .