The Good News
PHA now has injectable flu vaccine for all ages. Families may make appointments for injectable vaccine, and we will be giving the vaccine at well or minor sick visits. (See below for on-line appointment scheduling.)
The Bad News
Flumist delivery is delayed. We received a small amount which is now gone. We gave it to patients who were randomly already in the office for other reasons. Going forward we can not guarantee that flumist will be available at any given appointment and do not want to schedule appointments and then not have the flumist available. We have been promised another delivery in late October but do not know how much we will get. At that time, we hope to have enough to open up flumist appointments for at least a limited few days.
Flumist is not available at pharmacies.
Take Away Message If your child, or another family member is high risk, get the injectable now.
If your child is OK with injectable vaccine, get the injectable now.
If your child really wants the flumist and you are willing to wait until November, sit tight and look for our emails.
Walk-in Flu Day, Sunday Oct 18, 10 AM - 2 PM Right now it will only be injectable vaccine - more info as it gets closer.
Extra staff available to expedite the experience.
Nurse visits only, for healthy children over 3 years old.
Please do not allow your child to get any vaccine at a pharmacy. They often do not have the most appropriate vaccine for children. Many pharmacies do not have the quadrivalent (four strain) flu vaccine, but the older trivalent (three strain) type. Pharmacies do not report vaccines to the NYS registry, and it is important that PHA has a complete record of all your child's vaccines.
Seasonal Flu vaccine is recommended for all children age 6 mos - 18 yrs, with special emphasis on high risk children such as those with chronic medical conditions and those under 5 years old (see below.)
High risk children - those with asthma, diabetes and other chronic diseases are especially vulnerable to complications from the flu and should make sure they get vaccinated!
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