Make Time for Your Flu Shots Now

October 2009

1.  New Mexico Flu Clinics:  http://www.health.state.nm.us/flu/shotclinics.shtml

2.  H1N1 Info New Mexico:  http://nmhealth.org/H1N1/index.shtml

3.  Seasonal Flu Info New Mexico:  http://www.health.state.nm.us/FLU/index.shtml

4.  Diabetes-related Info about seasonal flu and H1N1:  http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/news/docs/swine_flu.htm

2009 H1N1 and Diabetes (from the Division of Diabetes Translation)

 

5.  One-stop H1N1, Seasonal, Avian and Pandemic Flu Information:  www.flu.gov  

Flu

While the flu season doesn’t typically start until December in New Mexico, the New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Influenza Vaccine Consortium encourage people with diabetes or other high-risk conditions to make appointments now to get their flu shots as soon as they are available.

Other high-priority conditions include:

• Persons ages 2-64 years with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma or HIV
• Persons age 50 years and older
• Residents of long-term-care facilities
• Children ages 6-23 months
• Pregnant women
• Health care personnel who provide direct patient care
• Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children younger than 6 months old

New Mexicans should contact their health care providers to receive a flu shot. People without health care providers or health insurance can receive a shot at their local public health office. To learn more about vaccine availability in your area, call the Nurse Advice Hotline, 24 hours a day at 1-877-725-2552.

To avoid catching the flu or passing it on to others, people should wash their hands frequently, cover their mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing, and stay home when ill.