Free Flu Shots for Seniors

The Bergen County Department of Health Services is offering flu shots at two clinics next month for elderly residents in the county.

The shots will be offered from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Nov. 12 at the Boiling Springs Garden Southwest Center, 147 Hackensack St., East Rutherford, and at the same time Nov. 19 at the Americas UnidasMulticultural Center, 101 Hudson St., Hackensack.

The shots will be available to county residents 65 and older. They will be free for residents who present a Medicare card with Part B/Medical Insurance coverage and aren't covered by an HMO.

The Department of Health Services warned residents who have a fever or have had allergic reactions to the flu vaccine, eggs or latex in the past to not get the flu shot. This year's version of the vaccine will also include the H1N1 strain.

County Executive Dennis McNerney urged residents to be vaccinated.

"The best way to prevent the seasonal flu is to get a flu vaccine each fall," he said.

"With two types of flu common this year, it is important that residents maximize their protection by receiving the appropriate vaccination. In New Jersey, about 2,500 deaths per year are directly attributed to pneumonia and seasonal influenza; nearly 90 percent of these deaths occur among persons aged 65 and over."

For more information, call 201-634-2648.