Despite what Mother Nature wants us to believe with the current weather, the cold weather will be here soon, and with the crisp air comes flu season.

LRGHealthcare encourages you to contact your Primary Care Provider or pediatrician to schedule a flu vaccine (flu shot) between the months of October and the end of December in order to have maximum protection throughout the New Hampshire flu season, which peaks in February or March. Looking for a Primary Care Provider? Please call 527-7171, and a representative will be able to assist you.

“As the flu viruses are always changing, so does the vaccine made to protect against it. The flu shot cannot prevent all cases, but an annual flu shot is still the best protection against the flu and its complications. In addition, the flu vaccine also prevents the spread of flu from person to person,” stated Dr. M. Abigail Dacuycuy, Medical Director of Infection Control and Prevention for LRGHealthcare.

“The Center for Disease Control recommends that everyone six months and older get a flu vaccine, and we at LRGHealthcare fully support this recommendation,” says Dr. Dacuycuy. “For some, the flu is truly a health risk and for others an inconvenience, but everyone can benefit from limiting it within our community. Widespread vaccination, including the vaccination of children, is the best way to protect all in the communities we serve.”

If you are unable to schedule an appointment with your Primary Care Provider or pediatrician, LRGHealthcare will be offering flu clinics at the following locations:

• Franklin Regional Hospital’s (FRH) Infusion Transfusion Department (FIT), ages three and over, by appointment only. Please call 934-2060, ext. 8850, Mondays through Fridays between 10 AM and 4 PM. The FRH FIT flu hotline phone number is 934-2060, ext. 8850.
• Convenience Care at Lakes Region General Hospital, ages three and over. Located in the Atrium at Lakes Region General Hospital (LRGH), Convenience Care is open seven days a week from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM. No appointment necessary. The LRGH flu hotline is 527-7069.
• Laconia Clinic, age six months and over. Flu shots will be available for current Laconia Clinic patients from 8:30 AM to noon and from 1 PM to 4:30 PM on Tuesdays and Fridays in October and on Fridays in November through November 21. The Laconia Clinic’s flu hotline is 527-2752.

For patients paying at the time of service, the cost of the flu shot is $25 at all LRGHealthcare facilities. This includes our Patient Advantage Program discount. Please note that many insurance plans cover the cost of an annual flu vaccination.

For more information regarding the 2014 flu vaccine clinics, please go to LRGH.org or call the LRGH flu hotline at 527-7069.

LRGHealthcare is a not-for-profit healthcare charitable trust representing Lakes Region General Hospital, Franklin Regional Hospital, and affiliated medical providers. LRGHealthcare’s mission is to provide quality, compassionate care and to strengthen the well-being of our community.