Columbia Memorial Hospital has seen the number of new flu cases rise through January, according to Ananthakrishnan Ramani, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the hospital. The hospital is urging people to get vaccinated because the risk is still great.
"We started seeing cases in December," said Dr. Ramani, "The vaccine has been available since August. The number of cases remained low, but in the last four weeks we are seeing increasing numbers of cases. There is lots of vaccine available and there is still a strong risk of people becoming infected in the community," said Dr. Ramani.
"The nice thing about this vaccine is that it includes protection against seasonal flu and H1N1 in a single flu shot."
According to Jeanette Wilber, Nursing Coordinator for the Hospital's Family Care System, the press did not write about the flu as much this year and the "number of people who would get the vaccine dropped. Flu cases, however, have not, and there is a concern about the recent rise."
According to Wilber, the flu vaccine is plentiful and readily available both at the hospital and at the many family care centers in Columbia and Greene counties. Three flu shot clinics are scheduled for those wanting to get the vaccine.
The first session is scheduled for February 8, from 10 am - 12 noon in the Occupational and Staff Health office of the hospital. The second session is on February 10, from 3-7 pm in the main registration area of the hospital, just off the lobby. The third is on the 12th from 8-11 am at the Columbia Memorial Blood Draw Station in the Greene Medical Arts Building in Jefferson Heights, Catskill.
"All our family care centers have plenty of the vaccine as well," said Wilber. In Greene County those centers are in Windham, Cairo, and Jefferson Heights. In Columbia County: Chatham, Ghent, Copake, Kinderhook Medical and Valatie Family Care at Valatie Medical Arts, Hudson Medical Care and Columbia Memorial Family Care in the medical office building adjacent to the hospital.
Dr. Ramani said that they expect to see cases even through April of this year and will be administering the vaccine through March.
For more information, call the hospital's physician finder number at 828-8216.
