Free Flu Shots Available for Seniors

Two local Influenza Immunization Clinics have been planned by Community Health Services in partnership with the Montgomery County Health Department. They will be held:

• Tuesday, Oct. 22, Merion Fire Company of Ardmore, 35 Greenfield Ave., Ardmore 

• Wednesday, Oct. 23, PALM Senior Center of Ardmore, 117 Ardmore Ave., Ardmore 

The shots are free for Montgomery County residents. The Health Department will continue to vaccinate residents throughout the winter, or as long as they have the vaccine available. Registration is required and is for those 65 years and older. To register, please call: 1-866-CALL-MLH. 

Influenza, commonly called “the flu,” is a serious disease caused by the influenza virus that affects the respiratory tract. It is highly contagious and generally spreads from person-to-person when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can be transmitted even before flu-like symptoms appear. A person usually becomes sick one to three days following exposure to the virus. Typical flu symptoms include fever, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year in the United States approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized due to flu illness; and flu-related deaths range from 3,000 to 49,000 each year, averaging 24,000 over the last three decades.