MARSHFIELD (WAOW) -
This year's flu season is the worst Wisconsin has seen since
2009. That may be why flu shots are in higher demand.
"I don't know if just because of the flu this year, that
more people are getting it, it's in higher demand," said Taya Staples, a
pharmacist at Marshfield Clinic.
Staples said ordering the vaccine can be a guessing game.
"All of the flu vaccine is bought ahead of time. So, we kind
of have to guess at how much we're going to use in a certain flu season. So, we
predict from previous years," said Staples.
Pharmacists at Marshfield Clinic said they think their
supply will be enough to serve their patients.
"At this time, our supply is somewhat limited, but we believe
that we'll have enough to get through the flu season," said Staples.
Leaders at Marshfield Clinic said everyone over six months
old should get a flu shot.
Dr. Edward Belongia was part of a team that studied the
effectiveness of this year's vaccine. He said getting a flu shot lowers your
chances of getting sick by 60 percent.
"Ninety percent vaccine would be ideal. We'd love to see
that, and I think eventually, we're going to get there. There needs to be a lot
of research to get us to that point, but in the meantime, who would want to
turn down 60 percent protection?" said Dr. Belongia.
And Dr. Belongia said it's better to be safe than sorry.
"We hear about people who were vaccinated and got the flu,
but we don't hear from the folks who are vaccinated and didn't get the flu, and
there are a lot more of those people out there," said Dr. Belongia.
