Free flu vaccines will be offered at county health department locations across the state after last year’s flu season set records for its severity.
Last flu season, between September 2017 and May 2018, there were 291 deaths and 4,819 hospitalizations across Oklahoma.
“We are encouraging everyone to get their flu vaccination and we hope this effort to provide the shots at no out-of-pocket cost to recipients will make it more accessible,” Oklahoma State Department of Health Interim Commissioner Tom Bates said in a news release. “The last season was especially devastating, and we want to ensure that as many people as possible can receive the added protection that the flu vaccine provides.”
Last year’s flu shot was only 10 percent to 30 percent effective, but that doesn’t mean patients should avoid vaccination, said Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation immunologist Eliza Chakravarty.
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“Usually, the protection offered is between 40 and 60 percent, and this year’s vaccine is quadrivalent,” Chakravarty, a physician and medical researcher, said in a news release. “That means it combats four different strains, offering increased likelihood of protection.”
Chakravarty says getting a flu vaccine annually can boost the body’s ability to protect itself if past strains resurface, as happened several years ago with swine flu.
“And if you’re unlucky enough to get the flu after having the shot, getting vaccinated often means you get a less severe version,” Chakravarty said, adding that it’s not possible for the flu shot to cause the flu virus.
Those with insurance will be asked to provide a card showing coverage.
The 2018-19 seasonal flu vaccination requires only one shot for most people, but those younger than 9 who have not received two flu immunizations before July 1, 2018, will need a second dose at least four weeks after receiving the first dose, according to the Tulsa Health Department.
The flu vaccine is available on a walk-in basis from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays at the following Tulsa Health Department locations:
• James O. Goodwin Health Center, 5051 S. 129th East Ave.
• Central Regional Health Center, 315 S. Utica Ave.
• North Regional Health and Wellness Center, 5635 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The flu vaccine is also offered at locations outside of Tulsa. Call 918-582-9355 for dates and times:
• Collinsville Community Health Center, 1201 W. Center, Collinsville
• Sand Springs Health Center, 306 E. Broadway St., Sand Springs
For more information, call 918-582-9355 or visit tulsa-health.org.
