BY JONATHAN CANNON

HERALD DEMOCRAT

It's that time of year. Local pharmacies are advertising flu vaccines and the Grayson County Health Department will begin offering vaccines on Tuesday.

"You protect yourself" when you get vaccinated, said Becky Gebhard, the infection prevention professional for Texas Health Presbyterian-WNJ. "You protect your loved ones. You protect your co-workers, and in the case of healthcare workers, you protect your patients."

This year's vaccine will provide protection from the three strains of influenza considered most likely to make people sick this year. One of them is H1N1. The strain, commonly know as Swine Flu, reached the level of a worldwide pandemic last year.

Donna Glenn, Director of Infection Control at Texoma Medical Center, said while H1N1 didn't have a death toll as high as early predictions, it was "worthy of the attention it got."

"The term pandemic does not mean the germ was really virulent or deadly. It means it went beyond a local area to a global one," she said, explaining why the virus reached a pandemic status.

This year's flu season may shape up to be a mild one based upon the flu season in the Southern Hemisphere, the usual predictor. However, Glenn cautioned against leaning too heavily on predictions when considering a vaccination.

"One thing we should remember is how difficult it is to really predict how severe the season may or may not be," she said. "Regardless of predictions for severe or mild, or past accuracy of predictions, flu vaccinations are (recommended) for most everyone because annually more than 36,000 people die of the flu."

Besides preventing any possible, sometimes deadly, complications that can come from a miserable week at home with the flu, Glenn said getting vaccinated will help protect those who don't or are unable receive the shot.

"When enough people get immunized, we have what is referred to as 'herd immunity,' which basically means there is less likelihood for those who have not been immunized to get sick as well, because the majority are immunized and protected and therefore are not a reservoir for the virus," Gebhard explained.

Vaccinations usually cost around $25 and can be administered at a physician's office, if he or she has the vaccinations, or any one of numerous clinics. Vaccinations take only a few minutes.

Patients older than six months can receive a vaccine, and for most, one dose is enough. Children between six months and nine years may need an additional dose. Parents should talk to their child's pediatrician.

For patients over 65 years old, there is a new vaccine with a higher dose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not given it preference over the regular vaccine for elderly patients, but it does produce a stronger immune system, which weakens with age, the CDC website states.

"The more people that get vaccinated, the less severe the season," Glenn said.

The Grayson County Health Department's Denison location will begin offering shots Sept. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. They will continue Monday through Friday throughout the month. Beginning Oct. 4, the Health Department office in Sherman will begin offering flu shots daily.

The department is also providing flu shots at several vaccination clinics in the coming months. The clinics will be open to the public and shots are $25. Medicaid and Medicare Part B will also be accepted. The clinics times and locations are:

Sept. 8: 8 a.m.-noon, First Baptist Church, Pottsboro and 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Lakeway United Methodist Church, Pottsboro;

Wednesday: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Midway Mall, Sherman;

Sept. 22: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Whitewright SNAP Center;

Sept. 25: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., New Hope Christian Church, Denison;

Sept. 27: 9 a.m.-11 a.m., First United Methodist Church, Sherman;

Sept. 29: 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Tom Bean Elementary School;

Sept. 30: 8 a.m.-noon, Trenton Middle School;

Oct. 1: 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Denison SNAP Center;

Oct. 4: 9 a.m.-10 a.m., Bells SNAP Center;

Oct. 5: noon-3 p.m., Belk's Department Store, Sherman;

Oct. 6: 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Gunter Community Center;

Oct. 8: 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Sherman SNAP Center;

Oct. 11: 9 a.m.-noon, Jimmy O. Rector Center, Whitesboro;

Oct. 12: 9 a.m.-noon, Howe City Hall;

Oct. 14: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., First Methodist Church, Bonham:

Oct. 16: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., drive-in flu clinic Loy Park, Denison;

Oct. 26: 8 a.m.-10 a.m., Health Trends, Denison;

Oct. 27: 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Leonard City Hall;

Oct. 28: 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Cedar Mills Marina, Gordonville.