Flu-vaccination clinics set up around Maui
Maui News
With flu season beginning this month, a number of efforts are under way to help children and adults avoid the fever, headaches, runny nose and other symptoms that accompany a bout with the influenza virus.
The Maui Community College Health Center has begun providing flu vaccinations, according to center office manager Marlene Curtis. The clinic is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Those seeking flu shots need to make appointments by calling 984-3493. The clinic accepts payment from most insurance plans, including HMSA, Medicare and Summerlin. The MCC center does not accept Kaiser Permanente patients, but Kaiser will have its own flu clinics at all of its clinics.
Uninsured patients can pay $25 in cash or via credit or debit card, Curtis told the Maui News.
The clinic is a popular option for residents seeking flu shots, she said, adding that it provided 1,500 vaccinations last year.
Kaiser Permanente said it would be offering flu shots to its members by appointment beginning Sept. 22 at all of its Maui clinics. Flu shots are free for Kaiser members.
A flu shot walk-in clinic will be available this month (for patients 9 years and older) at the Wailuku and Maui Lani clinics. The walk-in clinics are open:
No appointments are needed, and members do not need to register at the front desk.
For children 8 years old and younger, parents should call 243-6400 to make a pediatrics appointment at the Maui Lani clinic.
Kaiser members in Kihei and Lahaina should make appointments by calling the Kihei clinic at 891-6850 or the Lahaina clinic at 662-6950.
Patients should bring their member identification card and a valid photo ID, and they should wear a short-sleeve shirt or blouse.
The Kaiser flu shot phone line is 243-6333.
HMSA announced its annual community flu shot clinics for HMSA, HMSA 65C Plus and HMSA QUEST members. The clinic schedule for Maui County is:
Also, the state Department of Health is working with public and private schools, healthcare providers and others to provide free seasonal flu vaccinations through the Stop Flu at School program. It provides shots to elementary and middle school children from 5 to 13 years old from October through December. Parents need to sign consent forms for their children to participate.
Nationally, schoolchildren have high rates of flu illness, exceeding 10 percent in most years, according to the state Health Department.
Some evidence indicates that schools provide a fertile ground for the spread of flu.
Harvard researchers have found in a four-year study that influenza hits areas harder that have higher populations of children. Researchers matched flu-suffering adult visits to Boston-area emergency rooms with Census data for 55 zip codes. Flulike symptoms struck first and worst in the areas with the most children.
The annual flu shot is recommended for people 50 years old and older; healthcare workers; residents of long-term care facilities; people with long-term health problems such as heart, kidney and lung disease; people with weakened immune systems; children 6 months and older; and pregnant women.
For more facts about flu, go to the state Department of Health Web site at www.hawaii.gov/health/family-child-health/contagious-disease/influenza/Flu_Index.htm.
More Maui News at http://mauinews.com/.
