The Tulsa Health Department will be offering the seasonal flu vaccines on October 20th. The supply of vaccinations will be available for no out-of-pocket cost to individuals who qualify (select insurance plans) and will be a small fee of $25.00 for those with other forms of insurance.
With two types of flu vaccines this season, the CDC made note that they do not recommend one over the other but rather getting one versus not. The trivalent and the quadrivalent vaccines are the two doses available and both cover the same virus strains with the exception of the quadrivalent covering an additional influenza B virus protection. The Tulsa Health Department urges all individuals to consult their doctor and get a flu shot every year as they are the "single most effective way to protect yourself from the flu," states Dr. Bruce Dart, THD director.
Those who should consider the flu include parents and family member of children less than 6 months old, anyone who is at risk of high complications from the flu, and health care workers. The Tulsa Health Department states getting a shot early can prevent missing work, school, and visits to the doctor or hospital in severe cases.