Roll up your sleeve: It’s that time of year again.
The new flu season officially began Oct. 1 and the Jefferson County Health Department is recommending flu shots for everyone 6 months and older.
Through Oct. 21, 38 lab-confirmed flu cases had been reported to the department, ahead of last year’s pace.
“We started seeing some cases come in before the official flu reporting season, about 10,” Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar said. “So, we want people to come in and get flu shots as soon as possible.”
Shots are available by appointment at the Health Department’s offices in Arnold and Hillsboro, as well as at doctor’s offices, workplaces, pharmacies and other stores.
The Health Department has 1,000 immunizations available and can order more, if needed, said Dylan Steigerwald, Health Department epidemiologist.
Last year, the department immunized 1,121 people, he said, in a season with 1,702 reported cases of influenza.
That was more than three times the 479 cases reported the season before, but less than the 2,003 cases reported in the 2014-2015 flu season, the highest in at least a decade in Jefferson County.
Steigerwald said it is difficult to draw conclusions about what will happen in a particular influenza season. Last season, there was an early peak, then a lull, then a second peak later in the season, ending up with a larger number of cases than in a typical season.
“We started seeing cases a little earlier than usual this year,” Steigerwald said. “Hopefully, that is not a bad sign, but it’s all the more reason to get in earlier for your shot. It can take up to two weeks for protection.”
Steigerwald said the flu season runs from the 40th week of one year through the 20th week of the next, with the current season ending near the end of May 2018.
Vaccines are crafted in advance of a season, with health officials using early indicators to predict which three or four strains to target. After a season concludes, officials determine the effectiveness of the vaccine.
“They don’t know until we get the numbers in. The vaccine for last season was about 50 percent effective,” Steigerwald said.
This year’s vaccination targets two type-A flu viruses and one type-B virus. Of the 38 confirmed cases in Jefferson County, 14 were identified as type A and 24 as type B.
At present, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is showing Missouri as a low-activity area for flu.
Even with a partially effective vaccine, the more people who are immunized, the less flu there is in the community, Steigerwald said, providing better protection to the community at large and for people who are older and younger, or with suppressed immune systems.
“Everyone should be immunized, unless they have a specific (medical) reason not to do it,” he said.
At the Health Department, shots cost $25, or $40 for a high-dose shot. Medicare will cover the expense as will most insurance providers.
“The high dose is recommended for people 65 or older or for other people who are at-risk,” Steigerwald said.
He said people who want to know about flu prevention, symptoms, vaccinations, statistics or other information may visit the CDC’s website: cdc.gov/flu.
“It’s a great resource,” he said.
The Health Department’s two offices are at 405 Main St. in Hillsboro and 1818 Lonedell Road in Arnold.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To arrange an appointment, call the Hillsboro office at 636-797-3737 or the Arnold office at 636-282-1010.