AMARILLO, TEXAS -- It's still summer but all over town, signs offering the flu shot seem to be everywhere. Walgreens and CVS are already offering the shot. Many others, including the pharmacy at the Market Street United plan to start offering the shot next week. Martin-Tipton will start offering them next month. Prices seem to be anywhere from $20 to $30. But there is something new with this year's vaccine that we thought you might want to know about. It not only protects you against the seasonal flu, but the H1N1 as well. This years vaccine will have 3 strains of flu. 2 will protect you against the seasonal flu and the other, H1N1. The vaccine is the first of it's kind, already available at many pharmacies in town. Pharmacist say the new vaccine is to help those people who don't want to get 2 vaccines to stay healthy or those who don't want that financial obligation to get both.
"Many people didn't get the H1N1 vaccine last year due to either financial constraints or the face they didn't want 2 vaccines, so with it being in, more people will be immunized against both.", says Angela Bazaldua, Pharmacist at Martin-Tipton Pharmacy.
Currently, there are 6 companies making about 160 million vaccines, so, for now, there are no worries of a vaccine shortage. Meantime, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people 6 months and older get a flu shot, focusing on those 65 or older. For more information you can head to the CDC's website by clicking on their name.
