As Autumn settles in and festival season kicks off, so does the annual rise in flu cases. With gatherings on the horizon and cooler air bringing people indoors, it's more important than ever to take steps to stay healthy—especially when vaccination rates may be low and viruses spread fast.
While there are several ways to reduce your risk, one of the simplest and most effective is getting your annual flu vaccine.
OMC is now offering flu shots in order to protect the public against the strains of the flu that are expected to circulate this flu season. Walk in today or call to schedule an appointment.
OMC has privately purchased vaccines, which are available for a self-pay fee of $25, or by billing insurance. OMC also has free, state-supplied flu vaccines for children who are on Medicaid, are Medicaid eligible, or who have insurance that doesn’t cover the flu shot.
Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness. Each year, thousands of people in the United States die from the flu, and many more are hospitalized. The flu vaccine helps prevent millions of illnesses and flu-related visits to the doctor annually.
While anyone can catch the flu, certain groups face a higher risk of serious complications, including infants, young children, adults 65 and older, pregnant individuals, and those with underlying health conditions or weakened immune systems.
It is important to get vaccinated each flu season, because different strains of the flu virus circulate and cause illness each season. Flu vaccines are made each year to protect against the flu viruses that research indicates will be most common.
OMC is an option for you, because caring for you is what we do! For more information call the nearest OMC Clinic. More information on clinic locations and services can be found at www.outpatientmedical.org or by calling OMC’s 24/7 contact center at 888-811-8081. Spanish-speaking patients may call the bilingual hotline at 318-357-9441.
