January 24, 2023<\/p>\n
Media Contact: <\/strong>Chris Garrett, local health emergency coordinator, PITTSYLVANIA-DANVILLE HEALTH DISTRICT DANVILLE, Va. \u2013 The Pittsylvania-Danville Health District will offer free seasonal flu vaccine at a special clinic on Friday, February 3, from 2 \u2013 4 p.m. at the Ballou Park Recreation Center located at 760 West Main St., Danville.<\/p>\n A limited supply of free influenza vaccine will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for everyone ages 6 months and older.<\/p>\n The purpose of this exercise is to simulate a mass vaccination event in which the health department and local agencies would work together so community members could be vaccinated efficiently during a time of emergency. An example would be a worldwide outbreak of influenza – also known as an influenza pandemic. This vaccine is provided by the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Emergency Preparedness.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve already documented cases of influenza this season in the area, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health recommend vaccination each year for everyone 6 months and older,\u201d said Scott J. Spillmann, MD, MPH, director, Pittsylvania-Danville Health District. \u201cVaccination is the best way to prevent influenza and its potentially severe complications.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe timing and duration of flu seasons vary. Since they can occur from early fall to late spring, residents should take advantage of this opportunity to get vaccinated,\u201d said Julia Gwaltney, RN, nurse manager for the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District. \u201cIt takes up to two weeks to develop the vaccine\u2019s full protection.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn the commonwealth of Virginia, the flu season typically peaks in early January and continues through March. Getting a flu shot in January or February will help safeguard Virginia residents from the nuisance of influenza and the potentially life-threatening complications it causes,\u201d said Chris Andrews, MPH, epidemiologist for the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District. \u201cI would encourage everyone who is eligible to get a flu shot to protect yourself and others.\u201d<\/p>\n Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk for influenza complications, including: To help prevent the spread of influenza to people in high-risk groups, those who live with people in a high risk group and healthcare workers should also receive an annual influenza vaccine. Travelers to countries outside of the U.S. may also need to consider influenza vaccination, even at different times of the year.<\/p>\n Influenza, commonly called \u201cthe flu,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that influenza has resulted in as many as 49 million illnesses, up to 960,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 \u2013 79,000 deaths annually in the U.S. since 2010.<\/p>\n To minimize your risk of contracting or transmitting the flu, follow these simple steps: For more information, call the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District at 434-766-9828 or visit www.vdh.virginia.gov\/epidemiology\/influenza-flu-in-virginia\/.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" January 24, 2023 Media Contact: Chris Garrett, local health emergency coordinator, 434-766-9828 PITTSYLVANIA-DANVILLE HEALTH DISTRICT OFFERS FREE FLU VACCINE DANVILLE, Va. \u2013 The Pittsylvania-Danville Health District will offer free seasonal flu vaccine at a special clinic on Friday, February 3, from 2 \u2013 4 p.m. at the Ballou Park Recreation Center located at 760 West […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":518,"featured_media":0,"parent":9835,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[29,232,167,173,231,166,89,233,236,235,234,230,237,12,30],"class_list":["post-9892","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-flu","tag-flu-clinic","tag-flu-season","tag-flu-symptoms","tag-flu-vaccination","tag-flu-vaccine","tag-influenza","tag-influenza-complications","tag-influenza-pandemic","tag-influenza-vaccine","tag-office-of-emergency-preparedness","tag-pittsylvania-danville-health-district","tag-seasonal-flu","tag-vaccination","tag-vaccine"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n434-766-9828<\/p>\n
\nOFFERS FREE FLU VACCINE<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Pregnant and postpartum women, or those who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
\n\u2022 Persons over 65 years of age, including residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities;
\n\u2022 People who have chronic lung or heart problems, including asthma; and
\n\u2022 People who have other serious medical conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, anemia, cancer, weak immune systems (including those with HIV) or a seizure disorder.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Get vaccinated;
\n\u2022 Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds;
\n\u2022 Cover your cough, either by using a disposable tissue or coughing into your sleeve, not your hand; and
\n\u2022 Stay at home when you are sick.<\/p>\n