Flu

Influenza (Flu) can be unpleasant for anyone, but it can also be deadly.


FREE Flu Shots at Oxford Plaza

Pima County is providing FREE flu shots for anybody regardless of insurance status at our dedicated flu vaccination center in the Oxford Plaza on 22nd St. For those with insurance, insurance may be charged. 

Schedule a flu shot today!

Get Your Flu Vaccine Today!

Most insurance companies provide a flu vaccine at no cost to you.

Most pharmacies and clinics have the flu shot. You can also contact your primary care provider (family doctor) or a community health center.

Use the Vaccine Finder tool to the right to find the vaccine provider nearest you.

Be sure to call ahead to make sure the location accepts your insurance and to make yourself aware of any special protocols that may be in place such as social distancing, face coverings, or scheduled appointments.

Most people can also be vaccinated at our East, Theresa Lee, and North Office clinics for no cost to you. 


Who Should Get the Flu Vaccine? Everybody.

Everybody older than 6 months should get a flu shot every year. People over the age of 65, women who will be pregnant during flu season, and those with pre-existing conditions are at higher risk and should really get a flu shot. There are some, like those with a deadly egg allergy or a few health conditions, who are not able to get a flu shot, so it's important that those who can, do. Talk to your health care provider or the Health Department if you have questions. 

CDC - The Flu: A Guide for Parents

English | Spanish

Call the provider before you go to make sure they accept your insurance.

When should I get a flu shot? Now.

According to the CDC, the best time to get a flu shot is before the flu starts spreading in your community, usually before the end of October. Antibodies to fight flu take about two weeks after immunization to develop. If you were unable to get a shot before October, the best time to get one is today.

Everyday steps to stay healthy:

There are steps anyone can take to prevent or lessen the impact of Influenza.
  • Wash hands often and thoroughly 
  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow or shirt sleeve, or use a tissue, throw it away and then wash your hands
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
  • Practice physical distancing
  • Flu viruses can spread from person to person through coughing, sneezing, by touching something with flu viruses on it, and, in some cases through, the air
If Your Child Gets the Flu
CDC Guidance -
If Your Child Gets the Flu
 

Steps to take if you or someone in your family gets the flu:

  • STAY HOME – if you're sick, stay home 
  • CALL FIRST – call your medical practitioner or clinic and tell them you may have the flu BEFORE you leave the house
  • MAKE A PLAN – consider actions to take care of you and your family:
    • What you and your family are going to do if the babysitter is ill
    • If your child becomes ill
    • If you have to stay home to take care of someone who is ill
Flu can cause mild to severe illness, including: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, and chills. Symptoms of flu and COVID-19 can be very similar, so please follow COVID-19 guidance if you feel ill and monitor your symptoms. 

Health Department clinics do not provide primary care. If you're ill, call your primary care provider (family doctor) before going to the office and discuss what your symptoms are so the staff there can respond appropriately.

You’ve got the flu: Is the Emergency Department for you?

Children

When to bring your child with fever and flu symptoms to the emergency room

  1. If your child is struggling to breathe, breathing fast or is struggling to breath, or their skin has a blueish tinge.
  2. If they're not waking up. It is normal when we’re sick to sleep or rest, but if you can’t get your child to wake during the day, or the child is not interacting, go to the emergency room.
  3. If your child has a high-risk condition, such as heart, lung or kidney disease, or an immune-system disease, and is spiking a high fever (103F-105F).
  4. If your child is so irritable they don't want to be held.
  5. If they have a fever AND rash.
  6. If your infant has no tears when crying, or has significantly fewer wet diapers for 8 to 10 hours.
  7. If your infant is less than 2 months old and has a fever over 100.4F.

Most children recover from flu without needing to go to the doctor. Other children have more severe illness. Try to make children as comfortable as possible at home. Let them rest.

  1. Make sure that they are getting lots of fluids to avoid dehydration.
  2. If your child has a fever, there are medicines that can be used to reduce the fever or make them feel better. Some are sold at stores, others require a prescription from a doctor. Make sure you talk to your doctor and see what medicine your doctor recommends based on your child’s age and size. Do not give them Aspirin.

How can we stop the rest of the family from getting sick? Use masks! Stop the droplets.

  1. Use masks to help stop the spread.
  2. Get the flu shot.
  3. Teach your children to cough into their elbows and model the behavior to help reduce the amount of germs in the air.
  4. Make sure everyone in the family practices good hand-washing, and washes their hands frequently.
  5. Make a separate sick room for the child, if possible. 
  6. When holding sick children, place their chin on your shoulder so they will not cough in your face.
  7. Try to have just one person in the house provide care for the child. 
  8. Keep the child at home, except to seek medical care, for at least 24 hours after the fever has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medication.

If you’ve come down with influenza, how do you know when you should see your primary care provider or if you should go to the emergency room?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a flu guidance page on its website to help you determine whether you should head to the emergency room or your doctor. In short, the emergency room should only be used by those who are very sick and are exhibiting emergency warning signs, including:
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
  • Sudden dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Severe or persistent vomiting
  • Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Some people are at much higher risk of developing serious complications from the flu than others.

They include:
  • pregnant women or new mothers who have given birth in the past two weeks
  • children, especially those under 2 years old
  • adults over 65
  • people whose body mass index is over 40
  • people with diabetes
  • anyone with a medical condition that compromises his or her immune system
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Health Department

3950 S. Country Club Road
Ste. 100
Tucson, AZ 85714

(520) 724-7770

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