With cold weather and flu season rapidly approaching, flu vaccines are still available at both health departments, but supplies are going fast.

However, representatives from the Ironton City Health Department and the Lawrence County Health Department are confident there will not be a shortage like in past years, and encourages everyone to get the shots.

"Flu vaccines are not particularly painful, they are highly effective and considerably better than getting the flu," Mary Johns, a nurse at the Lawrence County Health Department, said. "There are nationally fewer cases since vaccines became available."

Vaccines are effective in the majority of the people and even if someone catches the flu the vaccine will significantly decrease the severity, Johns said.

Flu shots are needed each year, but pneumonia shots last for up to 10 years.

The county department ordered 1,200 doses.

About a third of the shots have been received and Johns said they expect to receive the remainder later this week.

Once all the doses are received, outreach clinics will be set up to make the vaccines more available to the community, she said.

The county department can provide the shots a little cheaper than the city because it is able to purchase all their vaccines through the Ohio Department of Health, Johns said.

People most at risk include the elderly -- 65 and older, children from six months to 2-years-old, women pregnant for more than three months and adults and children with chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, cancer and immune deficiencies, she said.

Johns said this is the first year the Center for Disease Control really pushed getting the shots for children.

Vaccinations are available from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Flu vaccines cost $10 and pneumonia shots are $15. Both have been increased from last year, she said.

Because of higher costs this year, the Ironton City Health Department was also forced to increase the prices of flu and pneumonia vaccines. Flu shots increased from $10 to $15. Pneumonia shots increased from $15 to $25.

The city health department ordered 2,000 vaccinations. Five hundred were purchased from the Ohio Department of Health and can only be given to persons 65 or older or the chronically ill. The remainder of the shots can be administered to anyone.

The health department began giving vaccinations the first of October and will have used half of the supply by the end of the week.

"We have already given more than 900 since the first of the month,"

said Jane Alley, nurse at the Ironton City Health Department. "We have had a really good turnout."

Although located in the same building and having different prices, the two departments work together to make sure enough vaccinations are available, she said.

The four medical centers funded by the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization are still waiting to receive all of the 3,500 vaccinations they ordered.

At this time, vaccines are not available to the public at these clinics. They only are only being given to high-risk patients, said Nancy Lewis, nurse at the Chesapeake Family Medical Center.

Lewis encouraged anyone who does not meet the high-risk requirements to contact their family physician or the local health departments.