Free flu shots at Health Unit Thursday

Local residents who haven’t already received a flu shot this season can get one for free Thursday.
The state health department says free flu shots will be available Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at parish health units across the state. The health units have extended evening hours to accommodate people leaving work or school.
The health unit in Acadia Parish is located at 1029 Capitol Ave.
The shots are given at no cost, with or without insurance.
Attendees should bring private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare cards and wear short or loose-fitting sleeves.
No appointment is necessary.
The health department says flu causes about 500 deaths and nearly 3,000 hospitalizations annually in Louisiana. However, numbers spiked last year with a more severe flu season, to more than 15,000 hospitalizations and 1,500 deaths.
Nationally, the season was the worst since 2003, resulting in 80,000 deaths overall, including 180 children, and 900,000 hospitalizations, according to the CDC.
So far this season, Louisiana and Georgia are the only two states where the federal Centers for Disease Control reports a high number of cases.
The CDC and the state Health Department recommend a yearly flu shot for everyone over 6 months of age who does not have a complicating condition, such as a prior allergic reaction to the vaccine.
The shot is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women, who can pass antibodies to their babies that will help protect them, state officials said. The shot offers partial protection immediately but takes about two weeks to offer full protection.
Flu symptoms include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose. The season usually peaks from December through March, though it has sometimes extended into May.