Flu Season: Shaker Heights Offering Flu Shot Clinics

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — The city is bringing in three flu shot clinics, with the first clinic being held Sept. 26. Appointments are required for the events. Kids 18 and younger pay $12 for a flu shot, adults 19 to 64 will pay $30. Adults with Medicare will get free shots with presentation of Medicare cards.

All three clinics will be held at Shaker Heights City Hall, 3400 Lee Rd. The next two clinics will be held Oct. 5 and Oct. 10.

The Sept. 26 clinic will be held 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Residents should call 216-491-1480 to set up an appointment. (To stay up to date on these stories, subscribe to the Patch Shaker Heights newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) estimates that flu-related hospitalizations since 2010 have ranged from 140,000 to 710,000 cases. Those cases led to between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths.

The CDC recommends people get flu shots to prevent mass spread of seasonal influenza. "Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine," the CDC says on its website.

Flu season usually starts in early October and can last until early May. Kids as old as six months can get flu shots, and should according to the CDC. Vaccination is also incredibly important for people at high-risk of developing flu-based complications.

If you're unable to make any of the city's flu shot dates, you can find other flu shot clinics using this tool.

Photo by Whoisjohngalt via Wikimedia Commons.