Flu clinic successful

PRESCOTT – A crowd gathered at the Nevada County Fairgounds early Thursday morning for the annual flu clinic hosted by the Nevada County Health Unit.

According to NCHU Administrator Debbie Henderson, people were lined up to get their flu vaccinations while the clinic was getting set up. By noon, more than 150 area residents had been given their flu shot, with the larger crowd expected between 3-5 p.m. as school lets out and people get off work.

Last year, Henderson said, around 400 people were vaccinated at the clinic. This year things were going smoother as the form had been simplified and everyone got the same vaccination. This year’s vaccine was a quadravalent and contained dead virus from the four major strains of flu expected to be seen this year.

There have already been news accounts of people coming down with the flu in Northwest and Central Arkansas, though flu season is normally December through early March.

Once the morning rush ended, the flow of traffic was relatively steady, with enough breaks to let the volunteers and NCHU staff make sure everything was ready for the next people coming to get vaccinated.

Henderson reminds parents in the Prescott School District, the NCHU will be in the activity room at Prescott Elementary School on Oct. 10 for the school flu clinic. She said, those in the southern part of the county who couldn’t come to Thursday’s mass clinic in Prescott can go by Nevada School on Oct. 31. That morning, she said, the NCHU will have a flu clinic for students, faculty and staff, while it will hold a mini-mass clinic from 1-6 p.m. for area residents.

These are no cost clinics. However, people are encouraged to bring their insurance, Medicare or Medicaid cards.

Those unable to get flu shots at any of the clinics can go by the NCHU for one. The cost is $30, but no one will be turned away based on inability to pay.