PULLMAN, Wash. Officials from Washington State University, the City of Pullman and Whitman County are encouraging area residents to help combat the spread of seasonal influenza through vaccination and good personal hygiene.
Dr. Timothy Moody,
Residents of the county can contact their personal physician or the County Health Department for information on flu vaccine availability and scheduling, Moody said. The department can be reached by calling 332-6752 in
A limited supply of flu vaccine also is available once again to WSU students and staff through Health and Wellness Services. Continuing periodic deliveries of the vaccine are expected, said Bruce Wright, director of HWS.
WSU students can obtain the $15 flu vaccine without appointment at the HWS medical clinic, located at
Health and Wellness is also preparing to re-schedule flu vaccine outreach services, some of which were postponed earlier this month because of shipping delays, at a variety of locations across campus. Vaccinations also will be made available to WSU faculty and staff at the outreach locations.
A revised list of vaccine outreach dates and locations will be posted on the Web at www.hws.wsu.edu. Because the schedule remains subject to revision based on the availability of flu vaccine, Wright said WSU students and staff are advised to check the schedule periodically for updated information.
“The good news this year is that there are no restrictions on who is eligible to receive the flu vaccine,” Moody said. “However, we are particularly concerned that those at greatest risk of complications from influenza obtain the vaccination.”
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, persons considered to be at high-risk from influenza include:
The cost of the flu vaccine is covered under Medicare and Medicaid.
“One of the primary goals of our local collaborative effort is create better public awareness of the fact that good health habits are essential to preventing the spread of flu and other types of disease,” Moody said. “Routine hand washing is a key. Contrary to what many people believe, cold and influenza viruses are spread much more often by hands than through airborne transmission from sneezing.”
As part of the public awareness effort, health officials intend to distribute flyers and create public service announcements encouraging the practice of good personal hygiene during the flu season, he said.
The CDC offers the following recommendations to help inhibit the spread of flu and other diseases through good personal hygiene:
Avoid close contact, particularly with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others.
- Stay home from work and school and avoid errands when you are sick. Doing so will help prevent others from catching your illness.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
- Clean your hands. Washing your hands with soap and water when possible, or with disinfectant wipes when not, will help protect you from germs and others from any germs that you might spread. More information on hand washing can be found Online at www.cdc.gov and at www.washup.org.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Additional information on flu vaccine and related topics is available on the following Web sites:
WSU Health and Wellness Services
www.hws.wsu.edu
Whitman County Department of Public Health
www.whitmancounty.org/PubHealth/
Washington State Department of Health
www.doh.wa.gov/FluNews/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/
