Upcoming Flu Clinics

Franklin County Home Health Agency Schedules Flu Clinics

Franklin County Home Health will hold a series of public flu clinics around the County starting October 1. These clinics are appropriate for adults of all ages. Clinics will be held:

October 1 10 a.m. to noon Fairfax Fire Station

October 8 9 to 11:30 a.m. Messenger Street Senior Center, St. Albans

October 10 10 a.m. to noon King’s Daughters Home, St. Albans

October 11 1 to 3 p.m. Enosburg Ambulance Building

October 14 3 to 5 p.m. Franklin County Home Health Agency, St. Albans

October 15 10 to 11 a.m. Franklin Homestead, Felco Room, Franklin

October 29 9 to 11 a.m. Swanton Senior Apartments

According to the Centers for Disease Control, between 5 and 20 % of the U.S. population develops influenza each year. This leads to more than 200,000 hospitalizations from related complications. Influenza seasons are unpredictable and can be severe, with annual influenza-related deaths ranging from a low of about 3,000 to a high of 49,000 people in the U.S. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, recommends that everyone six months of age and older receive an annual influenza vaccine, with particular emphasis on people in high risk categories such as:

· People over 50 years old

· People with chronic conditions such as asthma, COPD, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions

· Women who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season;

· Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;

· People who live with or care for people at high risk, including healthcare providers and family members.

The Agency will bill Medicaid, Medicare Part B, as well as some private insurances. Please bring your insurance card to the Clinic. If you do not have coverage, the charge will be $35. BlueCross/BlueShield of Vermont will donate the funds to purchase the flu vaccine for uninsured people who meet high-risk criteria and who are served through public clinics.

Please call the Agency, (802) 527-7531, with any questions.

For over forty four years, Franklin County Home Health Agency has provided home health care and hospice to County residents of all ages and incomes. Services include both long and short term care as well as services that help people live independently, such as the Choices for Care, CareNet and Homemaker programs. FCHHA also provides childbirth education courses, skilled pediatric nursing and support for new mothers as well as free support groups for caregivers and those in grief. The Agency also offers foot clinics throughout the year as well as free Caregiver and Grief Support Groups.

For more information about FCHHA, please contact Mary Harwood, Community Relations Coordinator, 393-6717, mharwood@fchha.org. Visit our website, www.fchha.org, or our Facebook page for more information on our programs.