Don’t Take Flu Season Lightly

Spectrum Health Encourages People to Get Immunized Soon

October marks the official start of the 2012-2013 flu season. Spectrum Health wants to remind people to take influenza seriously and to get their flu shot soon.

“Because of the relatively mild seasons we have enjoyed recently, some people might not make getting a flu shot a priority,” said Paul Woods, MD, primary care chief, Spectrum Health Medical Group. “The fact is that, even in a mild season, thousands of Americans die of influenza each year. Getting a flu shot to avoid this disease is very important.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone older than six months be vaccinated for the flu this year. Spectrum Health offers several ways to get your flu shot.

Flu Clinics
The Spectrum Health Continuing Care Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) has begun distributing the flu vaccine at clinics throughout the community. The current schedule of flu clinics is posted at www.spectrumhealth.org/flu or is available by calling 616.486.3939.

Urgent Care
Flu vaccine is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week at Spectrum Health Urgent Care locations in Grand Rapids. The South Pavilion location is open until 10 p.m. Locations can be found at www.spectrumhealth.org/urgent.

Primary Care
Current patients have the option of making an appointment with their Spectrum Health Medical Group provider to receive the vaccine.

The cost of this year’s flu vaccine shot is $30 at both VNA clinics and Urgent Care locations. VNA also offers a flu mist nasal inhaler as an alternative to the shot for $40 for people ages two through 49. Preservative-free flu shots are available through VNA by calling 616.486.3939 to schedule an appointment. Pneumonia injections also are available. All locations can bill a number of insurance programs, many of which cover some or all of the cost of the vaccine.

More information can be found at www.spectrumhealth.org/flu.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 183 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 700 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 600,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 19,000 employees. The organization provided $204 million in community benefit during its 2012 fiscal year.