The flu has hit Ohio

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Flu season has officially hit Ohio, and a local Health Center is still fully stocked with Flu shots.

Rambo Memorial Health Center is well equipped to provide the community with influenza vaccinations. A flu shot for a Muskingum County resident is $5.00, an out of county resident is charged $20.00, and for anyone with medicade can have their medicade charged. Director Gloria Brown says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their flu effected areas.

“There has been more flu activity in the state of Ohio at the end of last week [the C.D.C.] said it was sporadic and now they are considering it on their flu map as ‘Local Activity,” Brown said. “So it is starting to be more prevalent.”

Rambo Memorial Health Center has been serving the Fluzone Quadrivalent vaccines instead of the Fluzone Trivalent Vaccines, which means it is made  of four strains of influenza rather than just three.

“There is one new strain this year that they took one out and they added in the ‘Michigan Strain’, which is an ‘A Strain’ of the flu,” Brown said. “So it is similar to last years flu strain and I think it actually did pretty good so hopefully this years flu shot will be as effective as last year or even better.”

Brown said The influenza vaccine’s peak effect will take place between three and six months, but it has been known to last in a person’s system up to a year. For more information call the Rambo Memorial Health Center, (740) 452-5401.