OSWEGO, NY – The Oswego County Health Department will hold a nasal spray seasonal flu vaccine clinic on Jan. 14 at the Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic on Bunner Street in Oswego.
There is a limited amount of the spray vaccine available to the public.
Anyone interested in receiving the vaccination must schedule an appointment by calling the health department at 349-3547.
“The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from this serious respiratory disease is to get a flu vaccine,†said Oswego County Public Health Director Dr. Dennis Norfleet. “Other ways to avoid getting the virus include: washing your hands thoroughly and often, covering your mouth and nose with tissues when you cough and sneeze, and staying home from school and work if you are sick.â€Â
The nasal spray seasonal flu vaccine is safe and effective for healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49.
It is a weakened live virus that can reduce your chances of getting the seasonal flu by 92 percent.
People cannot contract the flu virus from the nasal spray flu vaccine.
To be eligible to receive the nasal spray vaccine, individuals must be healthy and free from chronic heart or lung disease, diabetes or kidney failure, a severe egg allergy, or a history of Guillain–Barré Syndrome.
Children under the age of 5 must not have asthma or wheezing episodes.
Pregnant women and children on long-term aspirin treatment are not eligible for the nasal spray.
For more information about the nasal spray seasonal flu vaccine, call the Oswego County Health Department at 349-3547 or 1-800-596-3200, ext. 3547, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/nasalspray.htm
