The Hawaii Medical Service Association's annual community flu shot clinics for HMSA, HMSA 65C Plus and HMSA QUEST members will get under way this month.

Clinics will be conducted through mid-November and will be held on O'ahu, Maui, Moloka'i, Kaua'i and the Big Island. (See schedule below.)

HMSA, HMSA 65C Plus and HMSA QUEST members 18 and older may receive flu shots at no cost, while supplies last. Members must show their HMSA card and a photo ID. There will be no charge for Medicare Part B beneficiaries who show their Medicare card and a photo ID. Nonmembers may get an immunization for $40.

At the Seniors' Fair on O'ahu, set for Sept. 18 through 21, flu shots and pneumococcal shots will be provided in the Pikake Room.

At all other community clinics, only flu shots will be provided.

Who should get a flu shot?

The flu is a respiratory illness caused by a virus, so antibiotics will not help. The best prevention is to get a flu shot each fall. Flu shots are recommended for individuals 65 and above, residents of long-term-care facilities, workers providing direct care to patients, pregnant women, children ages 6 months to 5 years, caregivers of children less than 6 months of age, and people with chronic conditions such as heart or lung problems, kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, cancer or HIV/AIDS.

Who should avoid a flu shot?

People should consult their doctor if they are allergic to eggs, have had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past, or have Guillain-Barre syndrome (a rare form of nerve damage). Flu shots should not be given to children under 6 months old or to anyone with a fever.

2008 HMSA Community Flu Shot Clinics

Oahu

Sept. 19: Seniors' Fair - Neal Blaisdell Center, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 20: Seniors' Fair - Neal Blaisdell Center: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 21: Seniors' Fair - Neal Blaisdell Center: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 23: Longs - Moiliili: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 23: Longs - Mililani Town Center: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 24: Longs - Kamehameha Shopping Center: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 25: Longs - Hawaii Kai: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 25: Longs - Ewa Beach: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 26: Longs - Pearl City: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 26: Longs - Kaneohe Bay Shopping Center: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 27: Longs - Kapolei: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 30: Longs - Manoa: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 30: Longs - Don Quijote - Waipahu: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 1: Longs - Pali: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 1: Don Quijote - Kailua: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 2: Don Quijote - Pearl City: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 3: Wal-Mart - Keeaumoku: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 4: Leeward Community College: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 7: Don Quijote - Honolulu: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 9: The Ward Warehouse - Kakaako Room, 2nd Floor: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 10: Kahala Mall: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Oct. 11: Kahala Mall: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Oct. 13: Marukai Wholesale Mart - Kalihi: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 18: HMSA Center - Multi-Purpose Room, Lobby: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 20: Marukai Market Place - Ward Center, Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 23: Walgreens - Keeaumoku: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 30: Castle Medical Center - Wellness Center: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Nov. 5: Longs - Waianae: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Nov. 8: HMSA Center - Multi-Purpose Room, Lobby: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Nov. 14: Ward Warehouse - Kakaako Room, 2nd Floor: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Big Island

Oct. 9: Longs - Hilo Prince Kuhio: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 14: Longs - Kailua-Kona: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 15: Foodland - Kamuela: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 22: Kealakekua Ranch Center: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 30: Longs - Keeau: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nov. 18: PrimeTime Wellness Fair - Kanakaole Tennis Stadium: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Kaua'i

Sept. 24: PrimeTime Wellness Fair - War Memorial Hall: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Oct. 7: Kukui Grove Center: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 8: Foodland - Princeville: 8:30 a.m. to noon

Maui

Oct. 2: PrimeTime Wellness Fair - Wailuku Community Center: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Oct. 3: Longs - Kahului: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Molokai

Nov. 6: Molokai General Hospital: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.