In preparation for influenza “flu” season, the Newtown Senior Center hosted an “Information About Flu Shots” Lunch & Learn program on Friday, August 16.

Joan Santucci, LPN, Community Health Nurse with the Bethel Visiting Nurse Association (Bethel VNA), led the informative session to give seniors the facts about flu vaccinations and debunk any myths they have heard.

The flu virus, Ms Santucci explained, is transmittable through the air and by touch. If a person is exposed to someone with the flu who is coughing and sneezing or comes into contact with contaminated items previously touched by the person, they are at risk of contracting the virus.

“Good hand washing is the single most effective way of preventing disease,” Ms Santucci said.

Communal objects touched by many people throughout the day, including door handles, gas pumps, and ATM machines, pose a high-risk for having encountered someone infected with the virus during flu season.

Many times, people mistake the flu for the common cold.

“With the flu, you’re more likely to have a fever, weakness/fatigue, body aches, nausea, vomiting — all very common symptoms that can be confused or misunderstood as the common cold,” Ms Santucci said.

If you recognize symptoms that you believe could be the flu, she urged, “Please don’t wait. Call your physician, go to an urgent care center, or to the medical facility you use and get the rapid flu test on you.”

To help prevent getting the flu, Ms Santucci suggests getting one of the flu vaccines available. The high dose vaccine covers three strains of possible flu virus for those 65 and older, and the regular dose vaccine covers four strains.

“Does the flu vaccine offer one hundred percent guarantee against the flu? No, unfortunately. But what it can offer you is more protection against the flu, a less severe case, and shorter duration,” she explained.

A common myth she has heard from people is that they contracted the flu from getting the flu vaccine.

“There are mild side effects associated with the flu vaccine: you can run a low-grade temperature, you can have redness/soreness at the injection site, you might feel fatigued or sore for the day,” Ms Santucci said. “But you cannot get the flu from the flu shot; it’s not possible.”

For those that believe they experienced getting the flu from the flu shot, she says, they probably got the virus, got the flu shot, then experienced symptoms afterwards.

Ms Santucci also reminded the seniors, “Once you receive your vaccine, it takes two weeks for full, complete immunity to be in place, so you are still at risk those two weeks.”

Upcoming Flu Clinics

The Bethel VNA will be hosting multiple Public Flu Clinics in Newtown from September through November.

Upcoming dates include Thursday, September 19, from 9:30 to 11:30 am, at the Newtown Senior Center; Saturday, September 28, from 9 am to noon, at the Newtown Health Fair; and Tuesday, October 1, from 10 am to noon, at the NYA Sports & Fitness Center.

Those wishing to participate must bring their current primary medical card.

Flu vaccines will be available for those 6 months old and older. There is no vaccine charge for children 4 years old and younger.

For seniors ages 65 and older, there will be preservative-free, quadrivalent, inactivated flu vaccines and high-dose flu vaccines available.

For a complete list of local flu clinics, visit bethelvna.org or call 203-792-0864.