County Expands Free Flu Shots As Season Begins

Public health officials are rolling out new partnership with libraries

Despite round-the-clock coverage on the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, county health officials are urging local residents to remember the bigger threat remains a much more common one: the flu.

For the first time, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is pairing with local libraries in hope of encouraging more people to get the flu vaccination.

More than 100 sites, including city and county libraries, are offering the flu shot beginning this week.

Doctors recommend anyone older than 6 months of age to get the shot. The county will offer the shots at no charge to the uninsured and for people whose insurance does not cover the flu vaccine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most recent outlook for the 2014-15 flu season shows low activity, but there are signs that it is picking up.

The CDC estimates that each year, an average of 5 to 20 percent of Americans get the flu, and more than 200,000 are hospitalized from flu-related complications.

Visit www.colapublib.org/flushots for a list of participating libraries. Other upcoming flu outreach clinics can be found at www.lacounty.gov.

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