By Clyde Noel
Town Crier Correspondent
An overflow crowd lines up for shots at Los Altos Senior Center
No one likes to get influenza, so 152 seniors rolled up their sleeves last Wednesday at the Los Altos Senior Center and were injected with a dose of flu vaccine in their triceps.
“I don’t want to get sick,” Helen DeCoursey said. The Sunnyvale resident was first in line at 9 a.m. By 12:30 p.m., injection time, there were more than 200 people in line waiting for a flu shot.
The Public Health Pharmacy of Santa Clara County said it expects to administer 17,000 vaccines in Santa Clara County this flu season. The County Health Department distributes the vaccine to different locations in varying quantities.
Alice Putman, Los Altos Senior Center director, said she ordered 250 shots from the County and only received 152. That left more than 60 people disappointed.
“We are going to ask for another allotment so we can provide everyone with a flu shot,” Putman said. “No one asked about small pox injections this year, but several seniors asked about a pneumonia shot.”
“All right, anyone who is under 65 goes to the end of the line,” yelled Putman to the assembled shot-seekers.
Patty Brenneman, a registered nurse and the community wellness manager at Pilgrim Haven, said the weather is good this year and that will probably delay the flu season until later in the year.
Flu shots are recommended for anyone 65 years and older. Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities and women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy should be vaccinated, according to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brenneman said she was concerned because Pilgrim Haven has not received their shots from the County and they have many seniors over 65 at the retirement home.
After receiving their shot, several seniors said there’s a little pain. “Sometimes I get a fever for a day or two and I feel a little tired,” said one senior. The most common side effect from the flu vaccine is soreness at the site of the injection.
“You don’t get sick from the vaccine,” Brenneman said, “It boosts the immune system against the strains of influenza.”
According to the attending nurses, the flu virus mutates each year. That’s why people need to be injected with a new vaccine annually.
You can increase your chances of staying healthy with a few simple steps: vaccination, avoidance, good hygiene and healthy living. You should get the flu immunization as soon as it becomes available, then you should try to avoid sick people including sick grandchildren.
A school-age grandchild can be a big problem in terms of colds and flu because kids are in close contact during play and bring home interesting new germs every day.
Nancy Mayne, Pilgrim Haven charge nurse, helped Brenneman administer the vaccine and both agree, “Hand washing is one of the biggest and simplest things people can do to cut down on transmission of contagious diseases, including the flu.”
The flu shot is free if you are enrolled in Medicare Part B and your health-care provider accepts Medicare assignment. Otherwise, the charge can vary. Long’s Drugs provides flu shots at most locations for $15.
Flu shots are available 9 a.m. to noon, Nov. 15, at Quinlan Community Center, Cupertino, $5 for seniors; and at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, 370 Distel Circle, Los Altos, for those over 65.
