Home Health Care Company Offers Flu Shots Tuesday In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A home health care company will be offering flu shots in Toms River on Tuesday for those needing the immunization.

Executive Home Care, which offers a variety of caregiving and skilled nursing services, will hold its flu shot clinic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the company's office at 52 Hyers St., Toms River. Executive Care will accept all Medicare patients and will offer a discounted fee for in-network private insurances, officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate there have been 140,000 to 710,000 flu-related hospitalizations since 2010, while flu-related deaths are estimated at 12,000 to 56,000, Executive Care officials said in a news release.

"Contracting influenza can be a serious situation for thousands of citizens annually. There is an increased risk of contracting influenza for seniors who have a lowered immune system and for those who are always around people in day-to-day work and life," the news release said. " Annual flu shots are recommended for everyone to help prevent outbreaks of the virus."

“It always surprises me how many people do not get a flu shot every year because they think the flu is like a cold. The flu and a cold are very different and I see many people refuse a shot and then suffer from the flu—which is a horrible experience that can last for weeks,” Senen Cabalfin, MSN, RN, co-owner and operator of Executive Care of Monroe, said. “It is better to spend a few minutes getting a shot than a few weeks bedridden with illness.”

The flu is a respiratory illness affecting the nose, throat and sometimes lungs. Signs and symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. The flu spreads from coughing, sneezing or talking while having the flu. Most people are contagious in the first three to four days after their illness begins; however, some people can infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and for up to seven says after becoming sick, according to the CDC.

“We hope to provide prevention and care for the influenza to not only the seniors of this community, but also every member of the community who has a slight risk of contracting the flu,” Cabalfin said. “We fiercely care about the wellbeing of our neighbors and we hope to show that through our flu clinic.”

Call Senen Cabalfin at 732-599-9794 for more information.

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