Fending Off a Winter Villain : Flu shots are available at low cost or even free

The dreaded flu season will soon be upon us, and the best defense against this winter illness, which can be deadly, is a shot in the arm. The good news about flu shots this year is that they are widely available at low prices or even free. Los Angeles County and other public health care providers traditionally have offered free shots to those 60 or more years old and the chronically ill. These groups are the most susceptible to the disease and most likely to end up in the hospital with the bug.

The county will begin its annual program today, with the state providing it enough vaccine to protect up to 150,000. And this year a number of private hospitals are offering the shots as a public service program. Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena recently completed one.

In this era of cost containment, health care providers, particularly health maintenance organizations, find it is profitable to protect potential victims against influenza in order to keep them out of hospitals, an approach that holds down costs. Medicare is covering flu shots this year for the first time. And a number of businesses are immunizing employees at no charge. In short, flu shots represent a preventive step that pays off for consumers, employers and health care providers alike.

It doesn’t take much except time to find the nearest or most convenient place to get a shot. Take advantage of the opportunity to protect yourself and your family from the flu, and possibly worse.

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To Take Action: For information on the county’s flu immunization program for the elderly (60 and older) and the chronically ill, call the L.A. County Department of Health Services at (800) 427-8700, the L.A. County Department of Community and Senior Citizens Services at (213) 738-4004 or Info-line at (800) 339-6993.