New seasonal flu vaccine now available at the Mobile County Health Department

Mobile, Ala. – The Mobile County Health Department is now offering flu shots for $15 at its downtown location and its eight other health centers throughout the county.

Flu shots are available on weekdays without an appointment -- for $15 -- from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Health Department’s Immunization Clinic at 251 N. Bayou St. The shots are available by appointment at the Health Department’s outlying clinics. Appointments also can be made by calling 251-690-8889. Shots at other agency clinics also are $15.

Last year, Alabama was hit hard by an early flu season and was one of more than a dozen states reporting higher-than-normal numbers of flu or flu-like illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 2013-2014 flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine that contains killed viruses and is given with a needle. It contains three seasonal influenza viruses that are grown in eggs. The vaccine will typically protect against three influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during this flu season, health officials said. The seasonal flu vaccine is available to those 6 months of age and older.

Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of severe influenza and their close contacts, health care personnel and close contacts of children younger than 6 months old, said Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department.

For more information, call the Health Department’s Immunization Clinic at 251-690-8821.