Flu mist no longer offered, only injection

The flu mist is no longer being offered due to research showing it is less effective than the shot. So, those wanting to be vaccinated this flu season will have to receive the injection.

“It’s recommended by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), so it’s a nationwide recommendation not to administer the flu mist,” said Robin Sevier, Union County Public Health nurse. “CDC studies have shown that it was not effective to help protect against influenza.”

According to the CDC, flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in a person’s body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine.

Flu shots generally contain three to four strands of the most common types of influenza. The strands included in the vaccine may change from year to year.

“It depends. Researchers decide which strands are going to be most prevalent, and then they make their formula according to that,” said Barb Ide, pharmacy technician at Creston Hy-Vee.

Ide mentioned Hy-Vee offers the quadrivalent flu shot, which protects against the four main strands.

“We also have the trivalent, which protects against three strands, if the customer prefers that,” Ide said.

Of the people who received flu vaccines last year in Union County, Sevier said 11 percent received the flu mist and 89 percent received the shot.

“We may see fewer numbers of people getting vaccinated because there’s no flu mist, but I can’t anticipate numbers,” Sevier said. “We’ll make it as smooth of a process as we can for the kids.”

Children and elderly people, even if they are vaccinated, are most susceptible to influenza and other viruses.

Ide emphasized the importance of having a herd immunity: the more people immunized, the lesser the chances of infecting someone who is susceptible to getting ill.

“It’s just important to have everyone protected,” Ide said. “Even if you feel like you could handle getting the flu and getting over it, it keeps you from spreading it to someone else, especially the elderly or the young. It’s really hard on them.”

Most insurance companies pay for the cost of a flu shot.

“The nice thing about Hy-Vee is you get 20 cents off your fuel-saver card when you get a flu shot here,” Ide said.

In Creston this year, flu shots are available at the following locations:

• Union County Public Health, 1700 W. Townline St. Suite 3, for walk-ins or by appointment; office hours are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday – Friday; cost without insurance is $37; flu shots are being offered beginning in October; call 641-782-3545 for more information

• Hy-Vee Pharmacy, 600 Sheldon St., for walk-ins; store hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; cost is $35 without insurance; flu shots are offered now; call 641-782-7023 for more information

• Medicap Pharmacy, 405 S. Sumner Ave., for walk-ins; store hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday; cost to be determined; flu shots will be offered beginning in October; call 641-782-6558 for more information

• Wal-Mart Pharmacy, 806 Laurel St., for walk-ins; store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday with a lunch break from 1:30 to 2 p.m. and closed Sunday; cost without insurance is $28 for people ages 65 and younger and $55 for ages 65 and older because it’s a higher dose; flu shots are offered now; call 641-782-6954 for more information