Philadelphia VA Influenza Vaccination Information
Updated on October 5, 2010
This message is from the Philadelphia VA:
We have received a partial shipment of our flu vaccine order.
For patients:
Currently we are offering vaccination to all Medical Center and Community Living Center inpatients, and all scheduled outpatients at all clinics, including specialty clinics and CBOCs. A walk-in clinic for veteran vaccination is now open 9-12 and 1-3 in the Occupational Health clinic area.
For staff:
Flu vaccination is still available in Occupational Health from 7:30-12, and 1-4. While we will also have roving flu carts, we encourage those able to come down for vaccination to do so now.
The remainder of this message was last updated 9/24/10.
Three important points about flu vaccination this flu season:
1) First, it is now recommended that EVERYONE (6 months of age and older) in the US be vaccinated against the flu…not just those in high risk groups.
2) Second, as in years before 2009, there will be one flu vaccine shot containing three strains of flu. This year the vaccine will include the 2009 H1N1 strain, along with two other flu strains.
3) Third, in addition to the usual vaccine, we also received a small shipment of a new high dose flu vaccine. The high dose vaccine has the same strains as the standard vaccine, but provides immunity against the flu to more 65 and older patients. Those 65 and older are eligible to receive either the high dose or the standard dose vaccine. Those 64 and younger are not eligible for the high dose vaccine.
National recommendations and general flu and flu vaccination information are available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu.
Thank you. Darren Linkin, Philadelphia VAMC Hospital Epidemiologist.
