Around Town

Get flu shots next week in Holyoke
    Last year’s record-setting number of flu hospitalizations in Colorado is a clear reminder of how serious and unpredictable the virus can be. As flu season gets underway, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment urges flu vaccines for Coloradans age 6 months and older, ideally before the end of October.
    Melissa Memorial Hospital is offering two discounted flu shot clinics Tuesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 11, from 5-6:30 p.m. at SunSet View Community Center. There is no charge to Medicare patients with cards.
    Flu cases start to increase in October and typically peak in late December or early January before dropping off in the spring. Since it takes two weeks for the vaccine to take effect, October is the ideal time to get it.
    From Oct. 1, 2017, through May 26, 2018, 4,650 Coloradans were hospitalized with flu. This is the highest number of hospitalizations recorded for a flu season in Colorado.
    State health experts emphasize the role flu vaccine plays in protecting vulnerable people. Last season, there were 183 outbreaks associated with flu in long-term care facilities, the highest number ever recorded in Colorado.
    Healthy people usually recover from the flu, but getting a shot keeps them from spreading the virus to people 65 and older, children under 5, pregnant women and people with certain chronic medical conditions.
    To stay informed, visit the department’s flu webpage. The department’s Colorado Flu Report, which tracks flu numbers in the state, starts Oct. 9.
    
4-H to host achievement program
    Phillips County 4-H’ers will be celebrating a wonderful year at their achievement program Sunday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. at Haxtun Community Center.