Altus Times

Taking a deep breath to blow out birthday candles or blow up balloons are two mental images she suggests to children who are about to receive a flu shot.

"We try to get them to focus on something else," said Mona Elliott, LPN for the Jackson County Health Department.

Elliott and other health-care workers throughout the state are preparing for the Oklahoma flu season, which has already arrived.

"The flu season in Oklahoma usually doesn't start until late December or January," said John Thur, administrator of Jackson County Health Department.

Thur said two cases of the flu have been confirmed in Oklahoma County. Yet, Oklahoma is not alone. At least 10 other states have confirmed sporadic or regional cases of the flu.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health there have been reports of influenza outbreaks in October in previous years, and the timing can vary from year to year.

Health organizations have already begun to administer flu shots nationwide, yet some people remain reluctant to roll up a sleeve.

"The flu shot doesn't give them the flu," Elliott said. "The vaccine we have is not capable of giving the flu."

Elliott said the vaccine used in flu shots is a killed virus, and the shot itself is approximately a five second process.

However, for people who cringe when rolling up a sleeve to get a flu shot, that process could be a pain of the past for them.

A new mist product is now available and is administered through a persons nose. The nasal inhalant is FDA approved, and unlike the shot, contains a live virus.

According to Don Blose, chief of the Immunization Service of the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the inhalant also costs a little extra, and is only licensed for people 5 to 49 years of age.

Blose said this year is the first time the inhalant is available, and can be found through private physicians. He also said the cost of the nasal inhalant is approximately $60 to $70 a dose.

An increase in the cost of the flu vaccine, that is given as a shot, has left some counties with a slightly reduced supply of state-funded vaccine this year.

"The price nearly tripled," Blose said.

Last year the cost was $2.65 a dose. This year the cost is around $6.77.

Blose said there are now only two manufacturers that carry the product, versus three from last year, one manufacturer charging $8.20 a dose.

With counties not receiving the amount of vaccine they have been accustomed to, some have purchased the flu vaccine on their own to make up for the lack of normal doses.

In cases like this, they can and should be asking for a small fee to make up the difference, Blose said.

Counties will receive close to 80 percent of the vaccine they ordered from last year.

Blose said the state of Oklahoma usually purchases 185,000 to 210,000 doses from state resources. However, this year only 100,000 thousand doses were purchased.

Blose also said the vaccination of people with high risk influenza complications is important. The high risk groups include persons 65 years of age and older, women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during influenza season, persons with one of several chronic, long-term health problems such as heart or lung disease, kidney problems, asthma, HIV/AIDS, or other illnesses that suppress the immune system, and persons who work around and take care of sick people, such as health workers.

It will take approximately two weeks after the shot for a person to gain full immunity.

The Jackson County Health Department will have a flu shot clinic beginning at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 28 to 30.