Web site will help you avoid the flu

BY BRAULIO BASALDUA

Thursday, October 2, 2008 1:48 PM EDT

Get your tissues and handkerchiefs ready because flu season is just around the corner.

"Whether to get a flu shot is not a decision to sneeze at," said Louise Vetter, Chief Executive Officer of the American Lung Association of New York. "Vaccination is a safe, effective way to prevent influenza and its complications, and the flu shot locator is a useful resource to find a flu shot near you."

What Vetter is talking about is the new online directory for finding flu clinics throughout New York State. Flucliniclocator.org helps individuals search for the nearest clinic by simply typing in their ZIP code.

The web site has more than 40,000 clinics to look up, reminds you of an upcoming appointment by email and lets you know about influenza-specific updates throughout the season.

Adults and children with diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and weakened immune systems are at a very high risk for complications from influenza and shot get their flu shots every year. Children between the ages of five and 18 are known to be the main carriers of the flu virus, and thus should be vaccinated, too.

Studies have shown that vaccinating school-age children is likely to be effective in preventing influenza in populations that have a high risk for complications with the virus.

Each year, of the 36,000 Americans who die from the flu and its complication, 2,300 come from New York. Of the approximately 226,000 people hospitalized because of the flu, New York contributes with 13,000 hospitalizations.