A chilly nip in the air marks not only the turn of summer into fall but also the start of the flu season.

“It’s never too early to get a flu shot,” said Freeborn County Public Health Nurse Lois Ahern. “For people who get vaccinated now, the vaccination will give them protection through the entire flu season.”

While some retail outlets have already started providing the vaccinations, the Freeborn County Public Health Department is planning its clinics. Ahern said the department has not officially set the dates; she said expect to schedule clinics into October and the first couple of weeks in November.

According to Patty Abbott, infection preventionist with Albert Lea Medical Center, the clinic received its adult vaccine and started administrating vaccinations on Wednesday. She said it is scheduling public clinics, but anyone is welcome to make an appointment at this time.

The clinic urges people to become vaccinated now.

“With H1N1 we don’t know what to expect this fall,” said Abbott.

Ahern said that for the first time, this year’s seasonal flu vaccination also will provide protection against the H1N1 virus, meaning people wanting to get vaccinated for both strains will only have to get one shot instead of two. Because of this, Ahern said Public Health don’t expect any shortages in the vaccine this year.

“Last year, priority groups were set to receive the H1N1 because that vaccine was so slow in being delivered,” she said. “We had plenty of seasonal last year.”

Ahern said the seasonal vaccination protects against three viruses that the Centers for Disease Control thinks will be most commonly circulating around the country, and each year that can change.

“It doesn’t mean there aren’t other viruses that cause influenza, but people who get the flu shot should have that protection this season,” she said.

Ahern said that while most people prefer to receive their flu shot in October, the vaccinations can be administered through January. She said generally, the virus tends to peak in February and taper off in March.

“People tend to think once you get into December, it’s too late. It’s really not,” she said. Once someone receives the shot, it takes two weeks to develop protection against viruses.

Ahern said Public Health plans to offer the adult vaccine at several locations throughout Albert Lea and surrounding communities, including senior centers, senior apartment complexes and city hall-type areas.

Also new this year, Ahern said additional vaccine will be provided from the Minnesota Department of Health, thanks to stimulus funding, used to partner with providing to schoolchildren and school staff. She anticipates those clinics to begin about the middle to end of October.

A high-dose flu vaccine is also being prepared for adults over the age of 65.

“We know that older adults have an immune system that may not be as active as a yonger adult, so the FDA has approved this vaccine to give them a little higher dose of the vaccine components, to give them better protection,” Ahern said.

While different priority groups received the H1N1 vaccinations in different stages last year, Abbott and Ahern both said it’s being recommended that anyone above the age of 6 months should get a flu shot this year.

In addition, Abbott urges the public to practice good hand hygeine and respiratory protection, wearing a mask if you have the symptoms and are around others.

“The best advice is to stay home if you become ill, because you’re exposing other people if you’re at work or doing social things,” she said.