Free or Low Cost Flu Shots / Pneumonia Shots Available at Hundreds of Neighborhood Sites

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) October 17, 2006 -- Community Information & Referral has complete information on how to get a flu shot anywhere in the state or Arizona.

Health care professionals have set up temporary clinics in grocery stores, churches, community centers, shopping malls, and private businesses to make it as easy as possible to get a flu shot.

Shots are provided free of charge to people enrolled in Medicare Part B, and some health plans. Flu shots are available to the general public at low cost. Flu shot sites and provider information is also available on Community Information & Referral's website:

http://www.cir.org/

Information is also available by calling the Community Information & Referral's Flu Shot / Pneumonia Shot Hotline, 263-8856 or 1-800-352-3792, where Arizona residents can reach a live operator who can direct them to the nearest site to receive a free or low cost flu shot for 2006-2007 flu season.

Flu and pneumonia are especially dangerous for the elderly and people with chronic diseases. These populations have compromised immune systems which have difficulty destroying the flu virus. The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that pneumonia is among the top five causes of death for Arizona's at-risk elderly. With a simple flu shot, this killer can be avoided.

Flu/pneumonia shots are completely safe and 70 - 90% effective in preventing flu among healthy adults. You cannot get the flu, or any other illness, from a flu shot, but pregnant women and anyone allergic to eggs should consult their physician before getting immunized. In the United States, the flu season usually occurs from about October until April. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, muscle ache, and extreme fatigue.

The Flu Hotline / Pneumonia Hotline is a free public service of Community Information & Referral (CIR), and supported by: Arizona Dept of Health Services, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arizona, Health Logic Education Services, Health Net of Arizona, and Healthwaves.

NextCare Urgent Care clinics will be offering two flu shot clinics in Phoenix and Mesa with pricing at $20 for Flu shots and $40 for the pneumonia vaccine while supplies last. No appointment is needed and on the dates below, the clinics will be held in education centers so you can avoid sitting in waiting rooms with sick patients for flu shots this year.

October 26th-27th: 10am-6pm
October 28th-29th: 10am-4pm
NextCare Education Center -- Thomas
1701 E. Thomas Rd. A104
Phoenix, AZ 85016

November 2nd-3rd: 10am-6pm
November 4th-5th: 10am-4pm
NextCare Education Center – Power
1066 N. Power Rd. #101
Mesa, AZ 85205

Medicare Part B assignment accepted with Medicare card and Picture ID.
Debit or Credit Cards accepted with valid picture ID. No checks please.

*Flu shots are available now at any NextCare Urgent Care clinic in AZ for $25.

The flu vaccine to be given, Fluvirin®, is indicated for use with ages 4 and older.

1-800-NEXTCARE     http://www.nextcare.com/

About Community Information & Referral
Community Information & Referral operates a free bilingual information HELP Hotline 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The HELP Hotline staff have responded to over 6,500,000 calls for help since 1964. The Hotline is available at 602-263-8856 from anywhere or 1-800-352-3792 within area codes 520 & 928. CIR is funded by Valley of the Sun United Way, Arizona Depart. of Economic Security, the United States Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, the cities of Phoenix, Glendale and Scottsdale, and corporate and individual contributions.

The 2006 Directory of Human Services and Self-Help Support Groups for Maricopa County (also available on CD-ROM) and our 2006 directories for Gila/Pinal & La Paz/Mohave/Yuma counties are available now. Place your order for the Directory of Human Resources here: https://web1.cir.org/secure/orderform.html

Products bearing the CIR logo may be purchased by visiting http://www.cafepress.com/cirphoenix and donations to support the efforts of CIR may be made through this page: http://www.cir.org/agency-helpus.html

Special Programs Community Information & Referral offers Arizona residents include:

24-Hour Helpline with English/Spanish bilingual Information & Referral Specialists ready to help you 24 hours a day. We are central and northern Arizona's First Call for Help.

Childhood Immunization Hotline (Maricopa County only)

Community Voice Mail - Community Voice Mail assists homeless individuals in Maricopa County by giving them private telephone numbers to help them with job searches and keeping connected to family and friends.

CONTACS - The COmmunity NeTwork for ACcessing Shelter helps domestic violence victims and homeless persons in Maricopa County find shelter in emergency situations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Maricopa HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) Project - This program is presented in cooperation with several agencies with support from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Teen Link - Our free, confidential, 24-hour information line provides pre-recorded messages of interest to teens, their parents and people who work with teens.

Valley Lifeline - Personal emergency response service which provides a way to help people remain independent in their own homes while maintaining a constant link to immediate emergency services

Contact:
Roberto Armijo, Executive Director
Community Information & Referral
602-263-8845 x111
http://www.cir.org/

Bill Austin
Member, CIR Board of Directors
CIR Fund Raising Committee Chairman
AZhttp, Inc. http://www.azhttp.com/
(480) 998-0246

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