(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - In an effort to encourage more Alaskans to get immunized against the flu, the Alaska Division of Public Health will continue waiving the standard $28 administrative fee for the flu vaccine for an additional three months at all state public health centers in Alaska and at the Municipality of Anchorage Public Health Center. The fee waiver is in effect through the end of March 2014 for certain Alaskans.

As of Dec. 28, the state had recorded 242 laboratory confirmed cases of the flu, most within the past three weeks. H1N1, or swine flu, is the dominant strain this season. Protection against the strain is included in this year’s vaccine.

State-supplied flu vaccine is available at no charge, but only to children under the age of 3, and anyone age 3 and older who:

• does not have health insurance;
• has health insurance that doesn’t cover vaccines;
• has insurance but hasn’t met their deductible for vaccination coverage;
• has insurance but doesn’t know if their health insurance covers vaccines or not
• has nowhere else to go in the community to receive the vaccine.

Those who qualify have always been able to receive the shot with no charge for the vaccine itself, but were still required to pay the administrative fee. That fee now continues to be waived through the end of March 2014.

Both injectable and nasal spray versions of the vaccine are available at public health centers, while supplies last.

On the Web:

For the location of a public health center near you go to: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Nursing/Pages/locations.aspx

Source of News: 

Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
dhss.alaska.gov

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