Flu, COVID-19 vaccination clinics at HCHS

HANCOCK COUNTY – Hancock County Health System (HCHS) Community Health will be offering flu vaccination clinics throughout the county. The schedule for the vaccination clinics can be found by visiting HCHS’s website: www.trustHCHS.com.

The COVID-19 vaccine booster also will be offered during vaccination clinics held every Friday in October from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Community Health Office in Garner, 545 State Street.

When receiving either or both a flu vaccine or COVID-19 booster vaccine during a public clinic, please bring your insurance card and/or your NEW Medicare cards with you. Appointments will be necessary and can be arranged by calling HCHS Community Health at 641-923-3676.

About Each Vaccine

This year, HCHS is offering a quadrivalent flu vaccine for people six months and older as well as a quadrivalent high dose for those 65 and older. Both vaccines protect against influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B. 

The COVID-19 vaccines available are the bivalent omicron-adapted mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. These vaccine boosters may be available for people 12 and older (Pfizer-BioNTech) or 18 and older (Moderna). This booster will be administered as a single booster dose to individuals who have completed a primary series of COVID-19 vaccine.

Keeping Yourself & Loved Ones Healthy

Along with receiving your vaccine(s), other measures to take to arm yourself against the aches, cough and fever of both illnesses this season, according to the HCHS Community Health include:

•Avoid close contact with people who are sick;

•Stay home when you are sick to avoid spreading viruses that cause the cold, flu or COVID;

•Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then immediately throw the tissue away. If you don't have a tissue, cough into the sleeve of your shirt;

•Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds;

•Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth to avoid the potential spread of virus from your hands;

•Get plenty of rest, sleep helps keep your immune system ready to fight off germs;

•Be physically active;

•Avoid stress, which can run down your immune system; and

•Drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods!

Even the best measures, at times, may not help you avoid getting sick. If you do, get plenty of rest, stay home, and drink clear fluids. Taking over-the-counter medicines also can help relieve some of the symptoms.

But, Mary Biechler, DO, of HCHS Garner Medical Clinic, warns do not jump to the conclusion that a prescribed antibiotic is the best course of treatment. 

"Taking antibiotics when you have a viral infection, such as a cold or even the flu can result in more problems," she said. Those problems include:

Risk of getting an antibiotic-resistant infection later; or

Kill the healthy bacteria in the gut, which can cause c. difficile, a severe inflammation of the colon that results in diarrhea and other intestinal symptoms.

If cold, flu or COVID symptoms persist or worsen, call your HCHS provider immediately.