By BJ Austin, KERA Reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-766818.mp3
Dallas, TX – The Dallas County Health Department is getting ready for flu season, with a call for everyone to get a flu shot no matter what age. KERA's BJ Austin says Health Department officials want flu shots to be a community effort.
Dallas County Medical Director Dr. John Carlo says flu season usually peaks in North Texas in February and March, but it's not too early to get a flu shot. And he says this year, the Centers for Disease Control is recommending all school children, ages 5 to 18, get a flu shot.
Carlo: This is a big change and I think very important to the concept of a community effort of vaccination. Children in the classrooms are the sentinel spreaders for influenza every year. By vaccinating our children, we are going to see, hopefully, a reduced incidence to disease, even in our elderly. It's a community effect.
Dr. Carlo says vaccine is plentiful this year and has been reworked to include the three predominant strains, unlike last year. The Dallas County Health Department has adult vaccines available. Its children's vaccine arrives in mid-October, but Dr. Carlo says pediatricians and other clinics may already have it.