October 6, 2022
The annual flu season is upon us, with health officials concerned that influenza this winter could be worse than in recent years. Widespread masking and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic had the beneficial effect of lowering the transmission of flu—and cold—viruses. But with stricter pandemic public health policies now lifted, there is an increased likelihood of a serious flu season. Health officials reported an unusual number of flu cases this summer. Moreover, Australia, where seasons are opposite to ours, just saw a high incidence of winter influenza, often a precursor of what we will experience here. During October, children and adults can receive free flu vaccine shots through Sierra County Public Health (SCPH) at various sites throughout the county (see accompanying article.) The flu is more dangerous for seniors, and health officials are recommending that those 65 and older consider receiving the higher vaccine dose. SCPH, however, is distributing only the standard doses at its events this month since that’s all they were provided by the California Department of Public Health. (The Mountain Messenger sent repeated inquiries to CDPH to ask why the state supplies counties only the standard but not the higher doses but had not heard back at press time.) Debbie Perkins, a registered nurse and an Infectious Prevention Specialist with SCPH, had this advice for seniors considering which level of the flu vaccine to receive: “Know yourself. If you’re someone 65 years and older who rarely gets sick and is not around a lot of people, the standard dose may be all you need. If you have a chronic condition or are around a lot of people, you might want to get the high dose,” she told The Messenger. She added that the high dose, which is 24% more effective than the standard dose, might cause slightly more side effects such as muscle soreness and headache. The Messenger contacted two clinics in the county where Fluzone High-Dose vaccines for seniors are or will soon be available: the Western Sierra Medical Clinic in Downieville and the Eastern Plumas Health Care Clinic in Loyalton. A spokesperson told The Messenger that the Western Sierra Medical Clinic in Downieville already has standard flu vaccines and will receive the high-dose vaccines on October 13. Call the clinic to set up an appointment at 530-289-3298. Eastern Plumas Health Care (EPHC) has standard flu vaccines and a total of 250 high-dose vaccines available for seniors on a first come, first served basis at its clinics in Loyalton, Graeagle, and Portola. “Call the office you want to go to and tell them you want to get the flu vaccine [and mention] if you want to schedule the high-dose vaccine,” EPHC Director of Clinics Paul Bruning told The Messenger. The numbers for the EPHC clinics are as follows: Loyalton, 530-993-1231; Graeagle, 530-836-1122; and Portola, 530-832-6600. Flu vaccines are free at both the Western Sierra Medical and Eastern Plumas Health Care clinic locations. Patients with insurance will be asked to provide their medical coverage information for clinic reimbursement purposes.