Flu shots and COVID shots now available every Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care-Allamakee Public Health

The COVID vaccine has arrived and is now being offered in conjunction with the flu shots at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health. Flu shots are recommended for all those who have not yet received the vaccine, and they will be effective throughout the rest of the flu season.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care will be offering both COVID and flu shot clinics each Wednesday in October.  Walk-in clinics will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. and appointments can be made for immunizations Wednesday afternoons by calling 563-568-5660.

Medicare does cover the cost for the flu shot. Billing for vaccinations will be completed by the Community and Home Care staff, but participants will need to bring their Medicare number or private insurance card with them. If insurance does not cover these immunizations, they can be purchased instead.

Public Health is offering Comirnaty (Pfizer) COVID vaccine. Anyone can receive Pfizer vaccine even if Moderna vaccine was given in the past. According to the CDC, it is safe and effective to receive multiple immunizations, such as the flu and COVID-19 vaccines, during the same vaccination appointment.

Flu and COVID vaccines are effective at saving and protecting lives and health system dollars. They reduce the potential for serious illness while also reducing strain on healthcare resources and the workforce. Vaccination is especially important in the fall and winter when respiratory diseases circulate in high volume across the country. On average, 26.8 million Americans become infected with the flu every year. These vaccines work by activating the body’s immune response, which can protect from severe respiratory illness.

The CDC now recommends that everyone age six months and older get vaccinated against the flu every year. For those who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications, flu vaccination is especially important. These groups include:
• Adults 65 and older
• Adults with certain chronic health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease
• Pregnant people
• Children younger than five years of age, but especially those younger than two years old.

Beginning with the 2023-2024 season, all updated flu vaccines have been proven safe and effective for people with any form of an egg allergy. Former safety measures are no longer recommended for flu vaccination of people with an egg allergy. However, all flu vaccines should continue to be given in settings where allergic reactions can be recognized and treated quickly.  The flu vaccines have also been updated to include the strains that are most likely to circulate during this year’s flu season.

For more information, call the VMH Community and Home Care Department at 563-568-5660. Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care is located on the upper level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.