Flu Vaccine Information

Seasonal Flu Vaccinations - AVAILABLE

Seasonal influenza vaccinations are now available for existing patients of the Family Medicine Center.  We ask that you schedule an appointment with our nurse or medical assistant to receive your vaccine.  If you have an existing appointment with your doctor, you may ask to receive a seasonal flu shot during that visit.  Otherwise, to schedule your appointment for a seasonal flu vaccination, please click HERE.  Please select "Flu shot" in the "Clinician" box.

Please note that our supply of pediatric seasonal flu vaccine (for children ages 6 months to 3 years) is very limited and being administered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note that vaccinations for seasonal influenza do not protect against the Novel H1N1 flu strain (also called "swine flu"). 

Novel H1N1 Flu ("Swine Flu") Vaccinations – AVAILABLE for selected groups

The FMC has a small supply of the Novel H1N1 flu vaccine.  Due to limited supply, we are currently only providing the vaccine to the following patients, in accordance with CDC guidelines:

• Pregnant women
• Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
• All persons from 6 months through 24 years of age
• Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.  These include asthma, diabetes, weakened immune system (either because of the HIV virus or from medications), neurologic conditions (multiple sclerosis, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, etc.), or heart disease, but not patients who have high cholesterol or high blood pressure (hypertension) only.

If you are in one of these groups, you may Request an Appointment.  Select “Flu Shot” as your clinician.

Prevention & Treatment

There are other options for both prevention and treatment of the flu in addition to the flu immunization.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.  Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.*
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.  Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities.  (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)  Keep away from others as much as possible.  This is to keep from making others sick.
• While sick, limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

*Though the scientific evidence is not as extensive as that on hand washing and alcohol-based sanitizers, other hand sanitizers that do not contain alcohol may be useful for killing flu germs on hands in settings where alcohol-based products are prohibited.

You can also visit the links below for further information.

Links

If you want to read more about the Flu, try these links:

The Family Doctor - information from the American Academy of Family Physicians
Center For Disease Control - link to the CDC's flu page

UNC Family Medicine Center   US 15-501 & Manning Drive   CB #7595 Chapel Hill, NC   27599

Phone: 919.966.0210    Fax: 919.966.6126

Email Link: Contact Us