By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

The Chilton County Health Department has flu shots in stock. The Department started administering flu shots Oct.3, according to media representative Ludean Hicks.

Hicks said that other places in the county have been giving shots already, but that every year some people prefer to wait until the CCHD has them.

“We have plenty. Just call ahead and we’ll let you know when to come by,” said Hicks.

According to a press release from the Alabama Department of Public Health, flu season can begin as early as October and end as late as May. Fortunately, the vaccine is already available for those who wish to guard themselves against what the ADPH is calling a serious disease.

Among flu-related deaths, between 80 and 90 percent of them occur in people age 65 and older. It is for this reason that the ADPH encourages everyone age 6 months and older to get the flu vaccine every year. Age does not protect against the flu.

The ADPH recommends the shot this year, as opposed to the nasal spray vaccine. It claims that the past three years the nasal spray did not work well.

“It is important for parents to protect their children and themselves by taking flu shots,” said Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Karen Landers. “An annual flu vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting … against this serious disease.”

This does not mean a shot is the only way to help prevent spread of the flu, though. The ADPH has a list of ten additional things to do during flu season to prevent the spread of the disease. Among them are washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home with a fever.

The full list of precautions can be found at adph.org/do10.

The Chilton County Health Department is located at 301 Health Center Drive in Clanton and can be reached by phone at 205-755-1287.