It’s not too late to get a flu shot

Who should get an annual flu shot?

How many Arkansans get an annual flu shot?

Flu shots don’t cause the flu

What about the pneumonia shot?

Will Medicare or Medicaid pay?

Who should get an annual flu shot?

• Everyone over age 50
• All children six months to 18 years of age
• All adults and children six months or older who have a chronic medical condition such as heart, lung, liver or kidney disease, diabetes, cancer or a weakened immune system
• Women who will be pregnant during flu season
• People who live in nursing homes (in Arkansas, it’s the law)
• Health care workers and those who care for elderly relatives
• Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children 23 months of age or younger

How many Arkansans get an annual flu shot?

Almost 69 percent of Arkansas seniors received the flu shot in 2004, according to Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those numbers place Arkansas above the national Medicare average of 67.8 percent.

Flu shots don’t cause the flu

Today’s flu vaccine is safe and can’t cause the flu. It’s important to get a shot each year, because flu viruses change. A few people who get a flu shot might be a little sore where they get the shot, or they might have a headache or low fever.

People who are allergic to eggs can get very sick if they have a flu shot. That’s because the viruses used in the flu vaccine are grown in eggs. So if you’re allergic to eggs, don’t get the shot.

Other people who shouldn’t get the flu shot include:

• Children under 6 months
• People with an acute febrile illness (a sudden, high fever)
• People who have had a severe reaction to the flu shot in the past
• People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (muscle weakness, possibly causing permanent damage) within 6 weeks of getting a flu shot in the past

What about the pneumonia shot?

Unlike the flu shot, the pneumonia shot is a one-time vaccination. However, some people may benefit from a one-time booster shot. Everyone over age 65 should get a pneumonia shot if they haven’t had one. Talk to your doctor if you can’t remember. Some younger people should get the shot if they have heart or lung disease, diabetes, some cancers or other diseases. You can get the pneumonia shot on the same day that you get your flu shot.

Will Medicare pay?

Both Medicare Part B and Medicaid pay the full cost of the flu and pneumonia shots. There are no deductibles or co-payments as long as you use a Medicare- or Medicaid-approved provider.