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Cape Girardeau Health Officials Prepare For Flu Season

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Along with the cold weather comes the the possibility of the flu. This year, Cape Girardeau citizens have already started preparing for the illness.

The Cape Girardeau Public Health Center has already received vaccines for the public.

This year’s vaccination includes two strains of type A influenza and a strain of type B influenza. The H1N1 influenza is also included in one of the A strains.

Center of Public Health’s Jane Wernsman, says the H1N1 strain should not be as prominent this year.

“Nothing is out there that’s saying that this is going to be an unusually hard flu season,” Wernsman said. “The H1N1 is contained in that California strain that’s in the vaccine this year.”

Wernsman says they have already begun setting up vaccination clinics.

“We follow the general guidelines of starting our clinics just as soon as possible as we can in the fall, to help get a jump ahead of any circulating viruses or strains that might be out there,” Wernsman said.

Clinics will be held throughout the month, or citizens can go directly to the Public Health Center as a walk-in to get vaccinated. The cost of the vaccination is twenty dollars.

Wernsman recommends anyone six months of age and older should guard themselves against the flu by getting vaccinated. Those most likely to have complication from the flu are usually elderly people and infants and children.

Ashley Books was an intern reporter for KRCU in 2012.