Name Your Flu

A colleague referred to Hy-Nee Flu and it took me a while (and required confirmation) that she was referring to H1N1. So, we now have three names for the stuff if we count "swine flu," too. We have also added the term seasonal flu to refer to non-H1N1. Used to be, it was just the flu.

Among my friends and colleagues, I actually have a number of folks who need to care. Two are pregnant. Three have compromised immune systems. And a couple are over 65. I'm friends with a preschooler, too. She's not worried but her parents are aware. And many friends work on college campuses where H1N1 is routinely discussed in terms prevention as well as response.

Baby boomers are luckiest, with presumed immunity or least resistance. That's if you were born before 1957, at least. So, there's also the matter of historic flu. Boomers are also probably the most opinionated about what to do about the flu. To move away from opinion, I recommend flu.gov, which comes in 4 flavors: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese. The web site describes the most vulnerable populations. And provides perspective with maps and facts.

Stay healthy,
Lida

© 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. The content of this blog or related web sites created by Mary Bold (www.marybold.com, www.boldproductions.com, College Intern Blog) is not under any circumstances to be regarded as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Or education advice. Or marital advice. Or even a tip.

Flu Shot at the Minute Clinic

CVS came through for me. The pharmacy's walk-in clinic not only saw me after a 2-minute wait, it also took my Blue Cross insurance. That means my flu shot cost $0 out of pocket.

I cannot report on other clinics appearing in neighborhood pharmacies, but if they are half as good as the CVS Minute Clinic I visited today, I'll be happy to use them.

Walk-in clinics typically invite criticism as costly and potentially harmful to our health. Yet they continue to get our business. (They're open more hours than most doctor's offices. They're faster. And, frankly, they're friendlier.) Having had my share of minor ailments, I feel confident that if I can walk in and state my symptoms, I can probably walk out no worse for wear.

That said, I asked the responsible question of the Nurse Practitioner in the Minute Clinic: "How many people do you refer to a doctor or hospital?" She had an immediate answer, "Two or three a day. The most common reason is age. We don't treat babies."

I was also curious about the work load (not in a negative sense as this is the age of moonlighting in many professions). The N.P. smiled broadly, "This is my only practice. I love it. Weekends are busiest but we open another room. But I like every day." I couldn't resist asking, "No occasional shift at a hospital?" And she got serious, "This is where I belong."

The clinic is small but fully stocked. Patients sign-in on an electronic pad and enter basic information "typing" with a stylus on a touch-screen. The waiting list is published (no last names) and the mood is calm and quiet. Visits appear to be naturally short. Maybe the N.P. is timing everything (a feature at my doctor's office, to be sure), but it's not obvious or off-putting. Record-keeping is computerized and whatever database the Clinic is using, it checked my insurance coverage in about 20 seconds and produced a billing screen. (That's the $0 part of my story.) I declined the offer of an email about online health records because I'm just not ready for an electronic PHR (personal health record). But I suspect that's the direction we're heading across all health facilities.

© 2008 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. The content of this blog or related web sites created by Mary Bold (www.marybold.com, www.boldproductions.com, College Intern Blog) is not under any circumstances to be regarded as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Or education advice. Or marital advice. Or even a tip.

Boomer Health: Flu Shots

Flu vaccine via nasal spray (Flu-Mist) or traditional needle is widely available now. The CDC's official campaign is still a couple of months away but for many of us October is the well-formed habit. Get the vaccine early while it's easy to find. Too, it may take two weeks to become effective so an October inoculation puts you well ahead of the first outbreak.

I'm shopping around for the first time in years, having lost Tom Bold's corporate gift (free shots for employees and spouses) and my campus connection ($20 in the years that I didn't get to Tom's workplace in a timely manner). What I barely noticed at grocery stores in the past—"flu clinic in our pharmacy today"—now looms quite large. And improved. At many groceries and drugstores, the occasional flu vaccine clinic has turned into more frequent and even daily access.

Nearly all the states permit pharmacists to administer the vaccine, now, and so scheduling becomes a matter of making sure the appropriate pharmacist is on duty the day you want the shot. In addition, some pharmacies now have medical clinics on site, typically staffed by Nurse Practitioners. Flu shots, immunizations, strep throat tests, etc., are available on a walk-in basis. Most will file Medicare for you and some will take other insurance, too.

Here's my quick list of flu shot outlets around my town in Texas:

• CVS Pharmacy - $30 (Some stores also offer medical services through Minute Clinic, staffed by Nurse Practitioners)

• Tom Thumb - $28 with a discount for 10% off other purchases, too

• Walgreens - $25 - $30 (with Take Care Health Clinics in many cities but not in my area)

• Wal-Mart (Some stores also have walk-in Clinic at Wal-Mart and also RediClinic, staffed by Nurse Practitioners)

• Denton and Tarrant County Public Health Departments - $20 (waived for seniors)

These online locators may save a little time in researching vaccine availability in your area:

American Lung Association Flu Clinic Locator
Flu Shot Locator by Maxim Health Systems

On a personal note: I'm opting for a Minute Clinic in a CVS. Just because I want to preview the place as a potential source of walk-in health care. ~ Lida

© 2008 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. The content of this blog or related web sites created by Mary Bold (www.marybold.com, www.boldproductions.com, College Intern Blog) is not under any circumstances to be regarded as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Or education advice. Or marital advice. Or even a tip.