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Best Place for Latest Information on Flu Shots is
Online
Maxim Health updating FindaFluShot.com everyday
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
Oct. 12, 2004 The best place we have found for
getting the latest information on flu shots and where to get them is at
the Maxim Health Systems Website -
http://www.findaflushot.com/. A unique service is the Flu Shot
Locator, where users can enter their location and the site will provide
information on the nearest location for flu vaccinations. The site is
updated daily.
Maxim provides flu shot programs for many corporate
clients and last year administered 1.8 million flu shots in drug stores,
nursing homes, offices, clinics and other locations. This year they were
set to open 19,000 flu shot locations on October 1.
The flu shot shortage caused by the shutdown on the
nations largest supplier of the vaccine has forced Maxim to cut back on
services. The company posted the following message yesterday on their
Website.
Maxim will continue to provide immunizations to
anyone considered high risk through Saturday, October 16th in various
retail locations across the country. All other clinics after October
16th have been postponed until further notice.Please search for the
nearest clinic in your neighborhood using our Flu Shot Locator on the
left side of this page. This website will be updated daily with the
latest schedule changes and updates. We encourage everyone to revisit
the site over the coming weeks. Thank you for your cooperation.
Maxim Health Systems' annual flu vaccination
program is adhering strictly to latest guidelines outlined by the
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), the company says. The CDC has
redefined the high risk category to accommodate a sudden shortage of
vaccine caused by the loss of all supply from Chiron. The CDC has now
asked those who are not at high risk to forgo their vaccination this
year.
"We are extremely concerned that those who need the
vaccine most, receive it," commented Steve Wright, National Director
Wellness Services for Maxim Health Systems. "And for this reason, we are
asking those going to our clinics to fill out a questionnaire that
attests to the fact that they are indeed at high risk." Wright noted
that in previous years, 78 percent of those attending the clinics were
high risk individuals.
Additionally, Maxim has outlined where and how flu
shots will be provided:
The company will provide clinics at assisted living
facilities and senior centers as they have in the past where there are
large numbers of people who are high risk. In these sites, people will
need to qualify for the high risk status.
Children over the age of 9 who are high risk will
be provided shots at the clinics.
Maxim is recommending that children under the age
of 9 who are at high risk, especially those between the age of 6 and 23
months, see their physicians or their local public health department.
This is because the clinics are not geared to treat young children.
Maxim is canceling all flu clinics at corporations
as these sites serve a broader range of individuals, many of whom are
not high risk.
"We will continue to run our clinics and immunize
as long as there is a supply of vaccine. Yet, because of the shortage,
some clinics may need to be canceled. We just don't know yet," stated
Wright. "Our objective is to work with the CDC to provide the best and
most effective service to the community."
The CDC defines those with an increased risk of
developing influenza-related complications as:
Children age 6 months to 23 months
Adults 65 years of age or older
Individuals 2 years to 64 years of age with
underlying chronic conditions
Women who expect to be pregnant during the flu
season
Residents of nursing homes and long-term care
facilities
Children 6 months to 18 years of age on chronic
aspirin therapy
Healthcare workers with direct patient care
Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of
children less than 6 months of age.
This website will be continually updated with the
latest flu developments and news.
About Maxim Health Systems
Maxim Health Systems is a division of
Maxim Healthcare
Services, Inc. Established in 1996, Maxim Health Systems
offers a full line of comprehensive wellness services to corporate and
retail clients. We provide a variety of services including
immunizations, health screenings and health fairs. In 2003, our flu
immunization program alone was responsible for vaccinating more than 1.8
million people. Together with Maxim Healthcare Services, we have branch
locations in most metropolitan areas across the nation.
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
