Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department officials secured 330 doses of flu vaccine Tuesday just as the state enters the height of flu activity.

“Typically, in Kansas, the height of the influenza season runs from January through March,” said Janelle Martin, spokeswoman for the health department.

The health department officials will offer the recently obtained flu shots to the public during its regularly scheduled immunization clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the health department, 200 Maine. Only people in a high-priority group as designated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will receive a shot. Generally, the list includes pregnant women, people older than 50 or younger than 2, and people with weakened immune systems.

The cost for a shot is $12 for children younger than 3 and $17 for all others. People should have their Medicare, Medicaid or Healthwave cards with them for billing purposes.

Martin said if any vaccine remained after Thursday’s clinic, it would be available during Friday’s clinic hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kansas officials reported some local flu activity during the week of Dec. 18.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokeswoman Sharon Watson said the demand for flu vaccine had fallen significantly statewide.

The KDHE can receive up to 24,000 doses of flu vaccine from the CDC, but local health departments must make the requests. The orders have to be placed by mid-January, or the CDC will allot the doses to other states, Watson said. As of Tuesday, 4,000 doses had been ordered.

The decrease in demand for flu vaccine could be attributed to the slight number of flu cases being reported. Cases of influenza in the state and the nation have been minimal compared with previous years, Watson said.

“That certainly could change,” she said. “We may still have a difficult time. It just may be later in the flu season. It also could be that the flu won’t be as bad this year, but that would be unusual. It would be strange, but it could happen.”

Some people also may think it’s too late to receive a flu shot, Watson said. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become effective, meaning there’s still time to get a shot, she said.

Flu vaccine now readily available in county (12-15-04)