Erie County Government - Official website of the Erie County, NY Government
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General Information
Erie County Flu Clinic Locator
Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
Top 10 Things You Can Do to
Prevent the Flu (PDF)
What to Do If You Get Sick: 2009
H1N1 & Seasonal Flu (CDC)
Guidance for
Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home (CDC)
Information
for Specific Groups
Health Care Professionals
& First Responders
Child Care Programs,
Schools, Colleges & Universities
Community & Faith
Based Organizations
H1N1 FLU VACCINE
NOTE: H1N1 vaccine will begin to be generally
available to persons in priority groups beginning the first week of November
and to the general public in December. But not everyone will be able to get
vaccinated at once. Please be patient. Vaccinations will continue through
November and December. It's never too late to get vaccinated!
At this time, individuals in the following priority groups
are recommended to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine:
Once individuals in these priority groups have had a chance
to get vaccinated, H1N1 flu vaccine will be available to everyone who wants it.
According to the ECDOH, the best place to receive
vaccination is from your health care provider. If you are included in one
of the CDC’s priority groups, then you
should contact your primary care provider to specifically ask if he/she signed
up to receive H1N1 vaccine by registering with the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH)
at https://hcsteamwork1.health.state.ny.us/pub/toph1n1.html. When
H1N1 vaccine becomes available, the ECDOH will do everything possible to ensure that the vaccine is preferentially
shipped to those health care providers who have registered with the NYSDOH.
At this time, the Erie County Department of Health
(ECDOH) is aware of some private health care providers in our county that have
ordered H1N1 flu vaccine. Please check with your health care provider
to see if he/she will offer their patients the H1N1 vaccine.
For a
listing of H1N1 vaccine clinics in
www.erie.gov/health/h1n1/vaccine.pdf
You may also check the following websites to see if there are any vaccine clinics scheduled at retail outlets near
you.
The ECDOH plans to hold immunization clinics to
administer H1N1 flu vaccine after the health care provider community has
received adequate amounts of vaccine to meet their needs. H1N1 vaccine
will not be delivered all at once, so your patience is appreciated.
Clinics will be scheduled once we have sufficient vaccine available. Check the
ECDOH website frequently for future clinic dates and locations.
SEASONAL FLU VACCINE
NOTE: Your own doctor may be your best option
for getting seasonal flu vaccine. Many health care providers have received
supplies of seasonal flu vaccine, while other providers are still waiting to
receive their vaccines. Providers will continue to receive vaccines in the
coming weeks, and vaccination for seasonal flu will continue through November
and December, in time to provide protection against the seasonal flu.
The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) does not plan
to hold immunization clinics to administer seasonal flu vaccine. Check with your regular health care provider
to see if he/she will offer their patients the seasonal flu vaccine. There may
also be other sources of seasonal flu vaccine available locally, such as
pharmacies and other retail outlets.
Check the following websites to see if
there are any seasonal flu vaccine
clinics scheduled near you.
Top 10 things you can do to prevent the
flu. (PDF Version)
1. Wash your hands
often, especially after coughing & sneezing. Wash for 20 seconds with
soap & warm water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers or wipes if soap
and water are not available.
2. When coughing or
sneezing, cover your mouth & nose with a tissue or the inside of your
elbow. Throw the used tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
3. Avoid touching
your eyes, nose & mouth. Germs spread this way.
4. If you are sick, stay
home and away from others for 24 hours after your fever (≥100°F) is gone
without the use of fever reducing medications.
5. Stay away from
sick people whenever possible.
6. Most people who
get the flu do not need to go to the doctor or hospital unless they are severely ill or have an
underlying condition.
7. If you are severely ill or at high risk for
influenza complications and become ill, call your health care provider as soon
as possible. Early treatment with antiviral medications is very important
for people at high risk because it can prevent hospitalizations and deaths.
8. Consider getting vaccinated for seasonal flu if it is recommended for
you. Your primary care provider is the best place to get
vaccinated. If that is not possible, then click here to find a list of
community sites that offer the seasonal flu vaccination.
9. Consider getting
vaccinated for H1N1 if you are in one of the following initial target groups
10. Keep informed by
going to the following websites.
·
ECDOH
·
NYSDOH
·
CDC
·
Flu.gov
The Erie County Department of Health does not provide medical
advice. The information provided herein and on the Erie County Department
of Health website is not intended as a substitute for professional medical
advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your personal
physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have
regarding a medical condition or issue. Never disregard professional
medical advice or delay in seeking it because of the content found on the Erie
County Department of Health website or this correspondence.