Carson City Health and Human Services is pleased to announce the success of the 2012–13 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Community Outreach Campaign, “Beat the Flu Blues.”
The agency conducted 69 community vaccination clinics that provided more than 10,700 influenza vaccinations throughout the quad-county area of Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties. Our local clinic provided an additional 1,259 flu vaccinations. In all, CCHHS increased the number of flu doses given during the 2012 season by 10 percent.
The Carson City health agency has determined that the most successful approach to increasing influenza vaccination rates is to send a team of skilled nurses and administrative support staff into a variety of locations in the four communities. These locations include schools, senior centers, large employers, food pantries, residential homes and a host of special community events.
CCHHS provides access to convenient, affordable vaccinations by trained staff due to our ability to bill insurance companies, including Medicaid and Medicare, and by our success in obtaining supplemental funds through grants, including the E.L. Cord Foundation and the WellPoint Foundation of BlueCross BlueShield.
The Carson City health agency will be continuing our Community Outreach Vaccination Program beginning mid-September for the 2013–14 Influenza Season. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. Getting the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available each year is always a good idea, and the protection from vaccination will last throughout the flu season.
This year’s flu vaccine will protect you and your family from four types of flu viruses. School-located flu vaccinations return to Carson City the week of September 16-20, and to Douglas County the week of September 23-27.
Contact Nicki Aaker, RN at naaker@carson.org for more information. You can also support community preparedness by getting your free flu vaccination during two community flu vaccination exercises: (1) Saturday, October 5, Carson City Corporate Yard on Butti Way, or (2) Saturday, October 12, Douglas High School. For additional information, please contact Karen Allen, RN at kallen@carson.org.
