Think about it
Patrick S. Kelley
Saturday, October 25, 2008
TUESDAY’S FLU SHOT clinic at the Lyon County Fairground was not a failure by any definition, but it did attract fewer people than last year’s clinic. Last year, 1,584 people showed up for vaccinations. This week, only 1,155.
Why the drop in attendance? Perhaps the weather has something to do with it. Tuesday was dark and rainy, not the best kind of weather for walking through the fairgrounds parking lot.
Another factor might be the cost. Last year, the clinic charged $15 for a vaccination. This year, the price was $20. Given the state of the economy, that extra $5 may have been the decider for some people.
But skipping flu shots is not a good idea, especially for people at risk of complications from influenza — the elderly, the very young and people with chronic diseases — and the people who live with them or care for them. Flu can be a killer, and even for people who are otherwise healthy, a full-blown case of flu can wind up costing much more in lost wages and medical treatment than is saved by not being vaccinated in the first place.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, influenza has already begun to show up in some states. The reported cases closest to Kansas are in Wyoming, but the flu will get here eventually — perhaps sooner than later.
But there is still time to be vaccinated. The big clinics — the Newman Regional Health drive-through and this week’s effort at the fairgrounds — are over, but vaccine is still available. Anybody who wants a flu shot can walk into the Lyon County Health Department at 420 W. 15th Ave. during business hours and get one. Flu shots will also be available at the Senior Life Fair on Wednesday and the North Lyon County Senior Center will have a flu-shot clinic early in November.
The shot will sting a bit — and so will the bill — but the cost is next to nothing compared to the value of your own health and the health of the people around you.
Patrick S. Kelley
Editorial Page Editor