GRANTS - A free clinic to dispense seasonal flu vaccinations will be held today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Grants Elks Lodge to Cibola County residents six months and older. Participants are asked to bring a picture ID card and their insurance cards to verify residence in the county.

    Several large local agencies have worked together to organize the event. Dwayne Toivanen, who represents the Grants/Cibola County School District, cited Lou Mazzone of the Cibola County Department of Public Health, CEO Ken Cochran and Janice Emerson of Cibola General Hospital, Gabe Candelaria of Cibola County Emergency Planning and Chief Robert Hays of the Grants Fire and Rescue Department.

    “All the local agencies worked well together to make this effort a reality,” Toivanen noted.

He also mentioned that the school district has launched its own vaccination program in the public schools in an attempt to make sure that all students are protected.

    In the meantime, the local organizing group has adopted recommendations from the Center for Disease Control for protecting against spreading the flu. These include sneezing into the elbow rather than the hands, frequent hand washing, use and immediate disposal of tissues and staying home from school or work if sick.

    Toivanen provided the Beacon with guidelines for responding to various levels of symptoms whether seasonal flu or H1N1 flu is suspected. Vaccine for H1N1 flu is not yet available in Grants, but he said that the group is considering a second free clinic when it becomes available.

Following are the CDC guidelines. If a person does not have a fever, but does have a stuffy nose, sore throat, runny nose and/or a cough, the problem is probably a run of the mill cold and should be treated with rest.

    If a family member has a fever more than 100.4 degrees that is accompanied by a cough, sore throat, significant fatigue, headache and muscle aches and the person does not belong to a group at higher risk of developing flu complications, it is probably the flu and the patient should rest at home until 24 hours after the fever is gone naturally, drink plenty of fluids, and take fever reducers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, although children with fevers should not aspirin. Children younger than 4 years old should not be given over-the-counter cold medications without consulting a health professional.

    The high risk groups referenced above include children under 2 year olds, adults over 65, pregnant women, persons under 19 years old on long term aspirin treatment, and people of any age who have a chronic lung disease, such as COPD or asthma, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, kidney, liver or blood disorders, weakened immune systems from medications or AIDS, brain or spinal cord injuries, or neuromuscular disorders such as muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis.

    If the patient is experiencing shortness of breath, difficult or painful breathing, vomiting for more than four hours, or fever in a child who is too quiet and less active than usual, call your doctor.

    More severe symptoms, such as increased difficulty or pain in breathing, blue lips, severe neck stiffness, difficulty in moving, drowsiness, confusion or disorientation, convulsions, no urination for 12 hours or fever in a infant under three months old, require that the care giver go immediately to the emergency room or call 911.

    The Grants Elks Lodge is located at 805 North Charles St. off Washington Avenue.