People already lining up for flu shots

Some county health departments are seeing dramatic increases in the number of companies scheduling flu shot clinics for this fall. Kris Kusik, an occupational health nurse, says companies are planning ahead because so many of their employees got badly sick from the flu last winter. Kusik says a certain amount of doses were already reserved but her office has been able to increase its order, though that hadn’t been allowed in the past. Kusik says just about everyone could benefit from having a flu shot but some people in particular should always get them. High risk people include those with breathing problems, those with immune system deficiencies and the elderly. Kusik says the C-D-C predicts the peak time for companies to schedule flu shots is between mid-October and December.The Centers for Disease Control estimates ten to 20-percent of U.S. residents get the flu, and about 36-thousand Americans die each year from influenza complications.