Flu season is here once again and the Riley County Health Department is preparing to provide the flu vaccine to Riley County residents. The community is invited to attend the 6th annual Okt-FLU-ber Fest event taking place on 
Thursday, October 26th from 1:30pm – 7pm at the Riley County Health Department Campus (2101 Claflin Road, Manhattan, Kansas).
The first 350 children to receive their flu vaccine will be given a free pumpkin! Vaccine registration will close at 6pm. In addition to the vaccines, there will be kids’ games, face painting, snacks, community partner booths, and lots of fun!
On the day of the event, please park in the Family and Child Resource Center lower lot or the Health Department parking lot. Don’t forget to bring your insurance card. Flu vaccine prices and availability will vary based on your insurance provider and plan. To speed up the check-in process, visit our website to download and complete the paperwork ahead of time! http://www.rileycountyks.gov/286/Health-Department
The single best way to prevent the flu is by becoming vaccinated. The flu vaccine not only protects the person from the flu but also prevents the spread of flu in the community.
The CDC recommends annual flu shots for everyone 6 months and older with rare exception. Influenza viruses change from year to year. Researchers try to predict the four most common flu viruses for the flu season, and then develop a vaccine to protect against those flu viruses. Since the viruses change every year, people need to receive their flu vaccine every year.
Additional influenza specific information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website www.cdc.gov/flu/.