Flu Clinics Offer Parents Chance to Protect Kids
By: Marci Manley, KARK 4 News
Updated: January 18, 2013
"Have you had the flu mist before?" the nurse asks as she opens the package.
Seven-year-old Ainsley Dewese tells us, it's been a while.
"It's a little scary, because it's been a year since I had it again," she said.
"When I put this in the one side of your nostril and push the plunger, take a big sniff," the nurse instructed.
And with deep breaths, Ainsley makes it through her flu mist vaccine at the Pulaski County Health Unit's flu clinic.
"We've been hearing so much about how the flu is bad this year. You want to do everything you can to prevent kids from going to the hospital or worse," mom Holly Dewese said.
The flu season is stretching on, claiming 16 lives at this point in Arkansas.
"We don't want to take those chances, to me one death is too many," said Health Department Environmental Manager Raymond Heaggans.
Health officials like Heaggans continue to stress that this infection is nothing to sneeze about when it comes to your kids.
"Children are in contact with everybody . We want to make sure they're protected," Heaggans said. "We also want to make sure parents are protected as well."
While many people may have stuck to a plan of getting immunized early, these clinics are many parents' last minute chance to lessen the flu's impact if their kids catch it.
"I've been trying to find the vaccine for my kids, because i waited a little bit late," Dewese said. "It's very scary as a parent when there's nothing you can do to prevent that. This is the one thing I can do to prevent it."
Still, Dewese and dozens of other parents are deciding they are willing to walk in and spend fifteen minutes for a sniff or a stick if it means walking out with a shield against this flu season.
"Even if they catch it before the vaccine is completely protecting them, they'll get more protection than they had without it," Dewese said. "Hopefully, it will lessen their symptoms and make it shorter."
Jacksonville's Health Unit is also offering a flu clinic from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. You don't have to live in Jacksonville to go.
These clinics are not as large as the mass flu clinics held in the fall, but they are streamlined to give you a quicker vaccination option, outside of the health unit's regular functions.
Seven-year-old Ainsley Dewese tells us, it's been a while.
"It's a little scary, because it's been a year since I had it again," she said.
"When I put this in the one side of your nostril and push the plunger, take a big sniff," the nurse instructed.
And with deep breaths, Ainsley makes it through her flu mist vaccine at the Pulaski County Health Unit's flu clinic.
"We've been hearing so much about how the flu is bad this year. You want to do everything you can to prevent kids from going to the hospital or worse," mom Holly Dewese said.
The flu season is stretching on, claiming 16 lives at this point in Arkansas.
"We don't want to take those chances, to me one death is too many," said Health Department Environmental Manager Raymond Heaggans.
Health officials like Heaggans continue to stress that this infection is nothing to sneeze about when it comes to your kids.
"Children are in contact with everybody . We want to make sure they're protected," Heaggans said. "We also want to make sure parents are protected as well."
While many people may have stuck to a plan of getting immunized early, these clinics are many parents' last minute chance to lessen the flu's impact if their kids catch it.
"I've been trying to find the vaccine for my kids, because i waited a little bit late," Dewese said. "It's very scary as a parent when there's nothing you can do to prevent that. This is the one thing I can do to prevent it."
Still, Dewese and dozens of other parents are deciding they are willing to walk in and spend fifteen minutes for a sniff or a stick if it means walking out with a shield against this flu season.
"Even if they catch it before the vaccine is completely protecting them, they'll get more protection than they had without it," Dewese said. "Hopefully, it will lessen their symptoms and make it shorter."
Jacksonville's Health Unit is also offering a flu clinic from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. You don't have to live in Jacksonville to go.
These clinics are not as large as the mass flu clinics held in the fall, but they are streamlined to give you a quicker vaccination option, outside of the health unit's regular functions.
