The Kaohsiung City Government started offering free flu shots yesterday as flu season approaches, urging all eligible residents to receive the inoculation at their nearest hospital or clinic.
Those eligible for the free shot include patients with serious conditions, senior citizens over 65, medical workers, disease-control personnel, workers in the poultry industry, children aged six months to three years, elementary students in grades one through four and others at high risk of being infected.
The city’s Department of Health has distributed a total of 84,000 doses of flu vaccine to 285 clinics and hospitals around the city.
Free shots for high-risk persons will be available until Nov. 30, officials said, adding that leftover doses would be available to other residents from Dec. 1.
Han Yung-kuang (韓永光), a health department division chief in charge of disease control, said that in the past, the city had achieved a success rate of about 45 percent in inoculating eligible residents, adding that the department hoped to raise the figure to more than 50 percent.
Flu vaccine is an inactive vaccine, Han said, meaning it produces only mild side effects at worst and is very safe.
A small percentage of those who receive the shot suffer symptoms such as inflammation, fever or fatigue, but fully recover within one or two days, he said.
The Formosa Plastics Group is also sponsoring 25,000 doses of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) for Kaohsiung residents age 75 and older. PPV, also known as Pneumovax, is used to prevent infections such as pneumonia and septicemia.
Han said senior citizens who do not have a fever or other symptoms of illness can receive the PPV and flu shots at the same time.
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