Flu shots make an early arrival

August 26, 2010

By Maura Lerner, Star Tribune

Last update: August 26, 2010 - 7:27 PM

For years, flu shot clinics have been a fall perennial, a sign that winter's on

its way.

But this year, nurses with hypodermic needles have set up shop at the Minnesota

State Fair and flu shot clinics are popping up at CVS drug stores. In August.

Why the rush?

Simply put, the vaccine is here. This year the Minnesota Department of Health is

encouraging clinics to offer flu vaccines as soon as supplies arrive instead of

waiting till fall, said Kris Ehresmann, who heads the state's immunization

program.

In a sense, it's a legacy of last year's H1N1 outbreak. Health officials sped up

the 2009 seasonal flu vaccine while waiting for the H1N1 vaccine to arrive. Last

summer, for the first time, the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency started giving

flu vaccines at the State Fair. " It was very well received last year, " said

spokeswoman Palmer. " So we decided to go ahead this year. " Now the nurses

have a booth at the Crossroads building offering flu vaccine by injection or

nasal mist for $26 (insurance accepted).

There's no danger in getting the vaccine too soon, says Ehresmann. The

protection should last throughout the flu season, which typically runs from

November to April.

But there's one big difference this year: The government has scrapped the

flu-shot priority lists. Now it simply says that everyone should get vaccine,

except those under 6 months old.

" That's the big exciting news for this season, " said Ehresmann, who serves on

the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. " The previous

recommendations were so confusing, and they kept changing. "

Originally, flu shots were aimed at pregnant women, the elderly and the

chronically ill. But over the years, the list of priority groups kept growing.

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" We were getting to the point where, literally, it was just about everyone, " she

said. In February, the advisory group met and voted to drop the priority lists

and recommend flu shots for all. " I seconded the motion, " Ehresmann said

proudly. " That's my little piece of vaccine history. "

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