News Release
September 8, 2008
HMSA to offer flu shot clinics around state
Laura Lott
(808) 952-7566
laura_lott@hmsa.com
The Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) today announced the launch of its
annual community flu shot clinics for HMSA, HMSA 65C Plus, and HMSA QUEST members.
To help residents prepare for the upcoming flu season, ISI Health Enhancement Services,
an HMSA subsidiary, will begin conducting clinics next week.
At the Seniors’ Fair at the Neil Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall on Oahu,
Sept. 19 through 21, flu shots and pneumococcal shots will be provided in the Pikake
Room from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At all other community clinics, only
flu shots will be provided. These clinics will be offered through mid-November on
Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.
HMSA, HMSA 65C Plus, and HMSA QUEST members 18 years or older may receive flu shots
at no cost, while supplies last. Members must show their HMSA card and a photo ID.
There will be no charge for Medicare Part B beneficiaries who show their Medicare
card and a photo ID. Nonmembers may get an immunization for $40.
Who Should Get a Flu Shot?
The flu is a respiratory illness caused by a virus, so antibiotics will not help.
The best prevention is to get a flu shot each fall. Flu shots are recommended for
individuals 65 and above, residents of long-term care facilities, workers providing
direct care to patients, pregnant women, children and youth ages 6 months to 18
years old, caregivers of children less than 6 months of age, and people with chronic
conditions such as heart or lung problems, kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, cancer,
or HIV/AIDS.
Who Should Avoid a Flu Shot?
People should consult their doctor if they are allergic to eggs, have had a severe
reaction to a flu shot in the past, or have Guillain-Barre syndrome (a rare form
of nerve damage). Flu shots should not be given to children less than 6 months of
age or to anyone with a fever.
Please note that changes to the schedule may occur. For an up-to-date listing of
HMSA flu shot clinics, visit hmsa.com or call 211. If the vaccine supply runs out,
any remaining clinics will be canceled.
About ISI Health Enhancement Services and HMSA
ISI Health Enhancement Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of HMSA. ISI provides
innovative, cost-effective products and services to HMSA employer groups, health
care providers and members.
HMSA is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in Hawaii in 1938. It is
governed by a community board of directors that includes representatives from health
care, business, labor, government, education, clergy, and the community at large.
It is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of
independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Nationally, HMSA and 38 other Blue
Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to more than 100 million
members.
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