There is still time to protect yourself from the flu and the North Shore Health Department has scheduled two additional clinics to help you out.

The first clinic is on Nov. 4, Election Day, so that it will be possible to protect your health after you cast your vote.  Just visit the Health Department in the Brown Deer Village Hall at 4800 W. Green Brook Drive anytime from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.  No appointment is necessary.

A second clinic has been scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM.  This clinic is also at the Brown Deer Village Hall and, again, no appointment is necessary. 

Please call the Health Department at 371-2980 if neither of these clinic times fit your schedule.

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control continues to recommend a flu shot for everyone over the age of six months and there is ample supply of flu vaccine this year.  The vaccine is considered to be a "good match" for the predominant influenza virus that is circulating.  Vaccination against the flu is a simple and very effective way to protect yourself from serious illness.  In addition, people around you will benefit because you won't be spreading the flu to others. 

Please take the time out of your very busy schedule to do something for your health.  It's more important than you might think!

The week of November 26 - December 1 has been designated as National Influenza Vaccination Week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The message is: DON'T GET THE FLU. DON'T SPREAD THE FLU. GET VACCINATED.

Yes, there is still time to get a flu shot, or nasal spray if you prefer. Oftentimes the flu season in the U.S. does not even peak until January so there is ample time to get vaccinated and have the two weeks needed to build immunity. We've been lucky so far as there has been mild flu activity to date but who knows what the situation will be in January?

There is some vaccine available at the North Shore Health Department and two tmes have been set aside for additional clinics. You can get a flu shot on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 8:30 - 11:30 AM or Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 1:30 - 4:00 PM. No appointment is necessary. Call 371-2980 if neither of these times work for you.

If you decide to skip a flu shot this year. . . . the week of December 2-8 has been designated as National Handwashing Awareness Week. Careful handwashing is one of the best things an unvaccinated person can do to protect self and family from the flu and other illnesses.

According to Henry the Hand at www.henrythehand.com, by following the four principles of handwashing, you can help spread the word, not the germs. They are:

1. Wash your hands when they are dirty and before eating.
2. DO NOT cough into your hands.
3. DO NOT sneeze into your hands.
4. Above all, DO NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Please note that following the principles of handwashing is also beneficial to those who do get a flu shot!

We at the North Shore Health Department hope all of you stay healthy this winter.

Those who have had the “real” flu say they never want to go through it again. The flu is an upper respiratory infection which is easily spread. Symptoms include high fever, chills, sore throat, muscle aches, cough, and fatigue. Some people get very sick and thousands of people die every year.

How can you protect yourself and your family? The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated every year. It is recommended that ALL PEOPLE, including school- aged children, who want to reduce the risk of becoming ill with or transmitting flu virus to others, should be vaccinated during the 2007-08 flu season.

And now there are two options! In addition to the traditional flu shot, a nasal-spray vaccine is approved for healthy people between the ages of 5 and 49. The flu shot is for anyone older than 6 months. It takes up to two weeks for protection to develop after vaccination. Flu season can be as early as October and as late as May. People can get vaccinated in October through April. There are ample supplies of vaccine this year.

We have both types of flu vaccine and have scheduled clinics at two sites.

Clinics at Brown Deer Village Hall located at 4800 W. Green Brook Dr., Brown Deer:

Tuesday, October 9: 3:00 – 7:00 PM
Thursday, November 1: 8:00 AM – 12 Noon
Wednesday, November 7: 3:00 – 7:00 PM

Clinics at the North Shore Library, 6800 N. Port Washington Rd., Glendale:

Tuesday, October 23: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Tuesday, November 13: 3:00 – 7:00 PM

Children can also receive flu vaccine at our regularly scheduled Immunization Clinics
which are held at the Brown Deer Village Hall on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at
10:00-11:00 AM or the 3rd Wednesday at 3:30-4:30 PM. A third Immunization Clinic
is held at the North Shore Library on the last Tuesday of each month from 4:00-5:00 PM.

A flu shot costs $27.00 payable by cash or check. We will bill Medicare if you have
Medicare Part B. The nasal-spray vaccine costs $30.00.

Please take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Call us
at 414-371-2980 or e-mail us if you have any questions about the flu or the flu vaccine.