Red Cross Offers Flu Shots, Information on How Shreveport and Bossier Can Battle the Flu

Flu cases are on the rise in many states including Louisiana, and that's prompted the local American Red Cross chapter to do a couple of things.

First, it's holding a Flu Vaccination Clinic next week. You can stop by the office at 805 Brook Hollow Drive in Shreveport from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. next Tuesday, January 15. Flu shots will be offered for $25, and Pneumonia ones for $30.

Next, it's sent out some steps to prevent the flu and how you can recognize if you have it.

Local Red Cross Assistant Director Michelle Davison says the most obvious way to keep from getting the flu is to get your flu shot. But she says that's not always 100-percent effective.

"What [health officials] do when they're developing the flu shot is they kind of make an educated guess as to what strains they think are going to be the most prevalent throughout the year, and those are the ones that get included in the shot," says Davison. "Recently, one of the ones that's been going around the schools in our area has been one of the strains that wasn't included in the recent flu shot."

There are also some common-sense tips the Red Cross recommends. For instance, covering your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze; frequent hand-washing or hand-sanitizing; not touching your eyes, nose or mouth, if possible; avoiding close contact with people who are sick; and staying home of you're sick.

Listen to my interview with Davison below