Alwan Pharmacy

     As summer nears its end, and fall and winter start to take shape, people nationwide are gearing up for a different season... flu season.  According to the Center for Disease Control, the single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each year.  But who really needs one and when should you get it?
     Essentially "everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year... it’s especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications," www.cdc.gov.
     Who are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications?:

• Asthma (even if it’s controlled or mild)
• Chronic lung disease (such as COPD and cystic fibrosis)
• Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
• Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• Kidney disorders
• Liver disorders
• Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
• People who are morbidly obese 
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu

     So now that you know who should be vaccinated, the next question is when should it be done?  "Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September and continue throughout the flu season which can last as late as May", www.cdc.gov. Don't delay! Come to Alwan Pharmacy & Compounding Center for your vaccine today!  We accept walk-ins and most insurances!

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm