FCH offers flu shots Tuesday

Fayette Community Hospital, in partnership with the Fayetteville Rotary Club and Rotary International, will offer free flu shots to the community Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the FCH Radiology Imaging waiting area near the dining room at the Hospital. For information, please call 770-719-7060.

“With the change of seasons comes a change in health conditions throughout Georgia. Sneezing, coughing, sore throats and headaches are signs that the flu season has arrived, but unfortunately a little earlier than expected,” said Virginia Combs, RN, Infection Control, Fayette Community Hospital. “We hope that by offering the free flu shots we can help protect those individuals who are at risk.”  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released information confirming that the flu season has started early this year. Usually, 800,000 Georgia residents are typically affected with the disease, but that number will most likely increase this season. Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC, warned that this flu season could be worse than usual because there is a new strain of influenza.   

The flu, short for “influenza,” is a disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory system.  Symptoms include fever, coughing, sore throat, chills, headaches and muscle aches. This contagious illness causes almost 20,000 deaths each year in the United States, and forces about 114,000 others to be hospitalized, according to the CDC.

The best way to avoid getting the flu is to get the influenza vaccine.  The vaccine can be given before or during the flu season. The CDC recommends that the following groups especially receive the vaccination:

• Children between 6 months and 2 years.

• People with chronic medical conditions.

• Adults 50 years of age or older.

• Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

• Health care workers.

• Travelers - including tourists, vacationers and frequent flyers.

“Now is the best time to get immunized to protect against the flu,” said Combs. “Because the virus changes each year, it is important to get an updated shot annually to insure maximum protection.”