The shots will be offered on Thursday at the Flute Springs Community Center and on Nov. 19 at the Tsa La Gi Community Center at 406 E. Ruth St. in Sallisaw. Shots provided at the above locations are available at no cost to the public, and those getting flu shots do not have to be a Cherokee citizen to participate. In addition, the Cherokee Nation will be providing shots free of charge to faculty and staff members of several area schools, including Marble City, Vian, Brushy, Muldrow, Roland, Moffett, Liberty and Gore.
LeeAnn Dreadfulwater, Cherokee Nation spokeswoman, said the Center for Disease Control advises anyone who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu get vaccinated, and they recommend those who are at high risk of having serious flu complications or people who live with or care for those at high risk for serious complications get the vaccine, including children, pregnant women, people 50 years of age and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, people who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and people who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu.
Also those who should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician include people who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs, people who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination, children less than 6 months of age and people who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever.
The ability of flu vaccine to protect a person depends on the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine, and the similarity between the virus strains in the vaccine and those in circulation. Testing has shown that both the flu shot and the nasal-spray vaccine are effective at preventing the flu, Dreadfulwater said.
