Countywide : Nurses Making a Point About Flu Shots

Jim Silva has hated needles ever since he was a boy. But there he was Wednesday, rolling up his sleeve and taking a shot in the arm.

The supervisor was one of about 150 county employees who turned out at the Orange County Employee Assn. in Santa Ana to receive a flu shot from the Visiting Nurses Assn.

The nonprofit group will be vaccinating people over age 13 for a $10 fee at area Long’s Drugs, Sav-On Drug Stores and the Golden West College Swap Meet every weekend from Saturday through Nov. 19. The county Health Care Agency will offer free vaccinations for people age 60 and older and those with chronic illnesses at various clinics this year.

The flu season runs from mid-November through March, but officials encourage people to get vaccinated now because it takes several weeks for the shot to kick in.

“I didn’t even flinch,” Silva said, rubbing his arm after getting his shot. “This year I can’t afford to get sick. We’ve got to get the county up and running.”

Joan Randall, executive vice president of the nursing association, said the group plans to administer about 11,000 shots by the end of November. The Orange County Health Care Agency expects to administer about 75,000 free shots.

Experts at the Centers for Disease Control expect three strains of the influenza virus to strike the United States this year, two of which have never been seen in North America.

The three strains, each named after its place of discovery, are Texas, Johannesburg and Harbin, also known as Beijing. Health care officials have battled the Texas strain for three years, but Johannesburg and Harbin are new.

Wendy Weber, a spokeswoman for the nurses’ association, said Harbin hits people the hardest. “It’s got really nasty symptoms. They’re more severe.”

Flu symptoms include a fever of 100 to 103 degrees and respiratory problems such as cough, sore throat and runny nose accompanied by headache and fatigue.

During most flu seasons, the Centers for Disease Control estimates, 10% to 20% of the U.S. population catches the bug. Of the 20,000 deaths related to influenza each year, the vast majority of victims are elderly or suffering from chronic illnesses.

Vaccination is the only way to protect against the flu.

Joan Halpin didn’t need any coaxing. A secretary at the Environmental Management Agency, she got the shot because she doesn’t want to get sick and miss work. “Well, I guess I’m like most people; I hate to even think about needles,” she said. “But I’d rather do this than spend a week in bed.”

Silva offered his secret for the squeamish: “Just don’t look at the needle.”

Information: Visiting Nurses Assn., (800) 616-SHOT, or the county Department of Health Services, (800) 427-8700.