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Where can you get a shot to ward off the flu?

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It is the peak time for aches, high fevers, coughs and runny noses. Yes, it's flu season.

Between October and March, the chance of getting influenza is higher, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, with as many as one in five people catching the virus each year.

To curb the number of people confined to their beds with the illness, area health care providers want people to get flu shots and know the facts.

WHERE TO GET YOUR SHOT

Flu shots are available at a number of locations in southern Beaufort County.

DHEC will offer flu shots at its Bluffton Health Center at 4819 Bluffton Parkway this Thursday and Oct. 21 and 31. The shots cost $25 and are covered by Medicare Part B and Medicaid. Shots are by appointment only. For an appointment, call 843-757-2251 or e-mail flu3@dhec.sc.gov.

Hilton Head Regional Health Care will offer flu shots for $20 -- or at no cost for those with Medicare -- at various locations throughout October and November. Those locations are:

• Hardeeville City Hall, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 15.

• Coastal Carolina Hospital, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 16

• Sea Pines Community Center, 1 to 6 p.m., Oct. 28.

• Hilton Head Hospital main lobby, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nov. 5.

Appointments are necessary. Call 877-582-2737 to make an appointment.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE?

Hilton Head Regional Health Care started offering shots last week, and more than 850 shots already have been administered, said Kelly Presnell, spokeswoman for the medical group.

Unlike previous years when shortages meant high-risk people, such as the elderly, got shots first, there are no restrictions on who can get the shots this year.

"It's open to everybody," Presnell said. "We have plenty to go around."

DHEC's Bluffton office is calling on all people who need a shot, even if they can't afford it, to call.

"Even if people aren't covered and can't afford the shot, they should call and talk to us," office spokesman Nick Davidson said. "We can try to work with them, because it's important to get the shot to avoid getting sick."

WHO'S AT HIGHEST RISK?

• People older than 65

• Children between 23 months and 6 years old

• People with chronic health problems

• Pregnant women

• Those who care for children and the elderly

Staff writers Alexis Garrobo and Jim Faber contributed to this report.

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