| Daviess Community Hospital now has seasonal flu vaccine available to the public through their Home Care Service. The hospital experienced a delay in receiving all of the seasonal flu vaccine order due to a production priorities associated with the preparation of the H1N1 flu vaccine.
People can get a vaccine for the seasonal flu on a walk-in basis at the hospital’s Home Care Service Building on the corner of N.E. 14th Street and Memorial Avenue in Washington. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $25 and Medicare billing is available.
The seasonal flu vaccine will not provide protection against H1N1 influenza. The H1N1 vaccine is being distributed through the County Health Department and s not intended to replace the seasonal flu vaccine – it is intended to be used along-side seasonal flu vaccine.
According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu vaccines take about two weeks to become effective. They cause antibodies to develop in the body which provide protection against infection.
Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given is possible. Other side affects include a low grade fever and aches. People who have a moderate to severe illness with a fever should wait until they are well to get a flu vaccination. Others, like those allergic to eggs or who have had a severe reaction to the flu vaccine in the past, should avoid getting one altogether. | 
Daviess Hospital CEO Gary Kendrick smiles through a brief moment of pain as Jama Britton, RN, DCH Home Care Nurse Manager administers a seasonal flu vaccine at the hospital’s Home Care Services building. The hospital now has seasonal flu vaccine available to the public after experiencing a short supply during the last two months as manufacturers focused on the production of the H1N1 vaccine. |