With the onset of fall and influenza season approaching, it is time to get annual flu shots.

The Newberry County Health Department has already begun taking appointments for shots and will begin giving the shots tomorrow. The cost of the shot is $25 and Medicare and Medicaid are accepted.

CVS pharmacy follows right behind the Health Department on Wednesday and will be offering a flu clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Local employees are unsure of the cost to get a shot.

“Flu is a very serious illness in South Carolina,” said Jerry Gibson, M.D., South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's director of the Bureau of Disease Control. “Each year about 700 people die from the flu in our state and more than 4,000 South Carolinians are admitted to a hospital. Flu is a leading cause of death for people age 65 years and older.

Anyone can get the flu, even healthy people, Gibson explained. The elderly, very young children, and people with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease are more likely to have complications from the flu.

“The best way to protect yourself and your family, this season and every season, is for everyone - especially those with a higher risk for flu-related complications along with those who live with or care for people at high risk - to get a flu shot,” Gibson said. “The vaccine provides immunity not only for the person who receives it, but also for the community at large when more people are protected. We particularly want to urge people who are at the greatest risk from flu, or those who care for them, to make vaccination a priority.”

Gibson said that, despite a prevalent myth, you will not get the flu from the flu shot. He also reminds people that you can prevent spreading the flu by covering your mouth when you cough, washing your hands thoroughly and often, and staying home when you are sick.

Gibson said the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that a significant amount of influenza vaccine should be available in physician's offices and communities by the end of September to allow vaccinations to begin in most counties. DHEC's public health regions across the state begin offering flu shot clinics this month. Information about DHEC clinics will be regularly updated on the DHEC Web site at http://www.scdhec.gov/flu.

DHEC is only one of many flu shot providers. Check to see if your medical practitioner is offering flu shots as well. Prices for the shots vary. At DHEC clinics, there is a $25 charge for the vaccination, which Medicare and Medicaid will cover for those who are eligible. However, the public health agency says it will administer the shot to anyone who wants one, regardless of ability to pay. Medicare Advantage enrollees should contact their plans to learn whether a certain provider needs to provide the flu shot.

Children and adolescents, ages 6 months through 18 years of age, are eligible for free flu vaccine through the DHEC Vaccine Assurance For All Children Immunization Partnership, which is available in many doctors' offices, community health centers and DHEC's county public health departments.

“DHEC has ordered 266,000 doses for our clinics and partner providers,” Gibson said. “The majority of the flu vaccine available in our state will be through private providers such as doctor's offices and other locations.”

Flu vaccination information, clinic times and locations will be available at http://www.scdhec.gov/flu or by calling DHEC's Immunization Division at (803) 898-0460, or toll free at 1-800-277-4687.

For a comprehensive listing of clinics across the Carolinas, including DHEC and non-DHEC clinics, you can also check the Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence's “Flu Clinic Finder” at http://www.thecarolinascenter.org/fcf or the American Lung Association at http://www.lungusa.org.