Nobody likes needles, but they may be a necessary evil during flu season.

September 26, 2008 at 2:57 p.m.

Photo by Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register

click here for our quick Q&A on flu shot concerns

f you’re like me, you’re in that group of people who “don’t do needles.” And you’re probably trying to ignore the fact that it’s time for your yearly flu shot. The idea of being punctured by that cold, stinging needle sounds far from appealing to most of us, but Arlene Porcell-Pharr from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the unpleasant vaccination is well worth a winter free of the flu.

Getting your flu shot over with early and avoiding germ zones all season long can help keep you healthy. Since the flu virus is constantly changing, Porcell-Pharr says it’s important to keep yourself protected from evolving strands of the virus.

Although the age requirements for getting the vaccination vary by county and state, CDC recommends that children ages 6 months and up and all adults get the vaccination yearly. Most family practitioners and clinics offer the flu shot throughout the flu season, (typically from September through February) for around $20-$35. You can also get the vaccination free through the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Public Health Clinics. CVC Pharmacy locations across Orange County even offer “minute clinics,” where no appointment is necessary and the shot can be obtained quickly and easily.

For more information or to locate Health Care Agency Public Health Clinics in Orange County visit ochealthinfo.com or call (800) 564-8448.

Here are some reasons why the flu shot is as vital as turkey and eggnog this season:

The flu shot protects against the three main influenza strands that attack our immune systems every year and will develop antibodies in your system that will fight the flu throughout the entire flu season.
Even if you catch another strand of the flu virus, in most cases, symptoms will be milder with a vaccination.
People who are considered high risk, such as the elderly, children and pregnant women, can be hospitalized if they catch the flu without a vaccination and in some cases, hospitalization can result in death.
The flu can be spread as early as one day prior to symptoms developing and as late as five days after becoming sick, leaving plenty of opportunity to pass and catch the harmful germs.