Seasonal flu vaccine arrives in Glencoe

GLENCOE, MN  – Glencoe Regional Health Services (GRHS) has received a shipment of seasonal flu vaccine and rescheduled its vaccination clinics for Nov.10-12. Current GRHS patients may call 320-864-7816 or toll-free 1-800-869-3116 to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine on one of these dates.

GRHS has both the flu shot and flu mist, a form of the vaccine that is inhaled through the nose. Due to a limited supply, you must be a current GRHS patient to receive the vaccine at GRHS.

Appointments to receive flu mist are available on Tues., Nov. 10 and Wed., Nov. 11, between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at GRHS’ Glencoe Clinic location at 1805 Hennepin Ave. N. To receive flu mist, patients must be between 2 and 49 years old, not be pregnant, not have a chronic condition like heart disease or diabetes, and not be a child who has asthma or is receiving aspirin therapy.
Appointments to receive the flu shot are available on Thurs., Nov 12, between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., also at GRHS’ Glencoe Clinic. Due to a limited supply of doses, GRHS will administer flu shots on Nov. 12 only to patients who are considered at high risk of complications from seasonal flu. This category includes anyone over age 50, anyone with a chronic condition like heart disease or diabetes, pregnant women and children with asthma.

“We anticipate receiving additional doses of both flu mist and the flu shot in the near future, so we ask for cooperation and patience from our patients and community as we focus our efforts on delivering this shipment of vaccine to those individuals who most urgently need it,” said Bev Fritz-Hults, GRHS’ vice president of nursing services.

Seasonal flu vaccine does not provide protection from the H1N1 flu virus. Vaccine for H1N1 flu has not yet been made available to GRHS, but Fritz-Hults anticipates that GRHS will receive it later this fall.
GRHS will make announcements about the availability of both seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccine on its Web site www.grhsonline.org,  and through the local media so area residents can learn when to call for an appointment. The GRHS Web site also has information about resources to help patients identify flu-like symptoms, determine when to seek medical attention and learn how to do self-care at home.
Glencoe Regional Health Services was founded in 1941. It includes a 25-bed critical access hospital, a 110-bed nursing home and a 40-unit independent senior housing complex in Glencoe, and outpatient clinics in Lester Prairie and Stewart.