NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) -
The flu season is
officially underway according to the Texas Department of Health Services.
Fortunately, Stephen
F. Austin State University nursing students are ahead of the game of protecting
East Texans from the nasty virus.
Thanks to support
from the Nacogdoches medical community, a longtime service is continuing at the
Pineywoods Fair. SFA nursing professors Dr. Della Connor and Dr. Janice
Hensarling expected their annual trip to be canceled because the Public Health
Clinic couldn't afford the vaccines. However, last-minute help from other
health providers kept the service going.
"Medical Center here
in Nacogdoches and the Surgery Center here in Nacogdoches came forward," Connor
said. "They gave us the influenza vaccines, the flu vaccines, so we could give
them free. They paid for them themselves."
A total of 700
vaccines were donated. Each night, they go fast.
"We've given
pretty much about 150 every evening, Wednesday, and Thursday, and we'll be out there
again today, Friday night," Connor said. "We'll be out there all day Saturday,
11-9 and then Sunday, 1-4. I assume we'll probably run out of flu shots on
Saturday though."
Early detection will
help, and Dr. Bryan Davis is already seeing cases.
"We're already
seeing a couple of cases of influenza," Davis said. "This is certainly early.
Usually we tend not to see influenza strike until later on."
One common excuse for
skipping flu shots is the belief that people can get sick from the shot itself.
"But with the
vaccines, it's not possible to get an actual infection with the virus," Davis
said.
Other patients say
they get sick anyway even when they get the flu shots.
"It doesn't
protect against the whole host of 100's of other viruses that can cause symptoms
of an upper respiratory infection," Davis said.
The choice is yours,
but a lot of East Texans are going with the shot. Arrive early at the fair if
you want the free ones.
Copyright 2012 KTRE. All rights reserved.
