Now You Can Get Your Flu Shot And Help The County Prepare For Disaster

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By Tammy Gray-Searles
    As talk of potential terrorist attacks fades into the background and worries over the country’s economy take the spotlight, Navajo County Public Health Services is making sure that residents are still protected in the event of an attack or a natural disaster.
    The district is planning a mass flu inoculation from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20, at the Arizona National Guard Armory in Show Low. The event is not just a quick and easy way for county residents to get a flu shot, it’s a chance for the health department, emergency services and even Northland Pioneer College nursing students to practice for an emergency that would require mass distribution of medicine or vaccinations.
    Public information officer John Zimmerman explained that the practice exercise, which also helps residents protect their health with flu shots, gives everyone involved a chance to learn how the operation would actually work, and makes sure there is good communication between the different agencies involved.
    Ideally, there would be hundreds of individuals involved in setting up and operating an emergency dispensing site, but in this case, just like in a real emergency, the operation will have to work with less.
    Zimmerman expects about 400 residents to attend the mass vaccination clinic, which works out to an average of 100 people per hour to receive a flu shot. He noted that the nursing students assisting in the project are at a point in their training where they are able to give vaccinations, so they will be administering the flu shots, but many other individuals are needed to process paperwork, monitor recipients following the vaccine, if needed, direct traffic, and set up and break down the entire operation.
    The tents that would normally be used for an emergency dispensing station won’t be used during the exercise, since the armory building is large enough, but the crews will get a chance to practice with the tents later in the month when they vaccinate 140 employees at the pig farm near Snowflake.
    Zimmerman explained that the flu virus mutates with the help of birds and swine, so it is critical that workers who come in contact with the pigs are not sick with the flu virus.
    “We’re working with that organization to keep the food supply safe,” he explained.
    Even for those whose employment doesn’t require a flu vaccine, Zimmerman and other officials en-courage getting a yearly shot. The vaccine is believed to help decrease the spread of the flu, which can be deadly among the very young, the elderly and people with existing medical problems. According to the health department, about 4,000 people are hospitalized and 700 die due to the flu each year in Arizona.
    Zimmerman noted that by getting a flu shot at the practice exercise, citizens can save money and time, and also help the county be prepared in case of an emergency.
    “There’s no doctor visit costs, no co-pay, no waiting for an appointment,” he remarked. “You can get in and get out.”
    The flu shot at the exercise costs $20 and is covered by Medicare Part B.
    Zimmerman noted that the health department has ordered plenty of vaccine for the flu season, so resi-dents who are unable to attend the mass inoculation on Oct. 20 can contact the health department to obtain a flu shot. He also explained that the vaccine formula is a new one this year, rather than a modified version of last year’s, to try to cover the strains of flu expected to strike this year.
    For more information about the inoculation event in Show Low, call (928) 532-6050. For information about getting a flu shot at other locations or for general health department information, call (928) 524-6050.