Doctors and Drug Stores Call the Shots on Flu Vaccine: Get One.

Getting a flu shot takes a few minutes. Getting the flu takes a week or more to get over. If you are 65 or older, pregnant or have a compromised immune system, get the shot.

I got the flu last year, and let me tell you, it was no fun. As I shivered under a mound of blankets, my head throbbing, muscles aching and burning up from fever, I promised myself I would get a flu shotbefore the next flu season arrived.

That time has come.  Officially, the flu season is a little over a month away. In South County, pharmacies currently have vaccine in stock and are administering shots, most on a walk-in basis. Public schools are offering the flu mist to students through the Anne Arundel County Health Department. In West River, Owensville Primary Care is holding free flu clinics on Tuesday afternoons starting Oct. 2 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Flu season typically begins in November and runs until April.  Flu symptoms, unlike a common cold, present quickly and include body aches, a high fever that lasts three to four days, sore throat, stuffy nose and extreme fatigue. The best way to avoid getting the flu is to practice good hand washing, exercise regularly, use hand sanitizers, eat healthy and get the flu vaccination.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 90 percent of deaths, annually, from influenza are 65 or older. So it is important for people over 65 to get the flu vaccine. In addition, the CDC recommends that pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, and chronic lung disease should show up for the shot.

We compiled a list of local pharmacies and clinics offering the flu shot this season. Stay healthy and try to avoid getting “bit by the flu bug.”

CVS
3025 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater
410-798-8715
Cost: $31.99, accepts insurance
Age: 18 and older
Hours: walk-in appointments
Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CVS Minute Clinic
No appointment necessary
Age: starting at 2 years old

Kmart
3255 Solomons Island Road (South River Colony Marketplace), Edgewater
410-956-0053
Cost: $19.99 with Kmart savings card; $24.99 without card; accepts most insurance
Age: 5 years and older
Hours: walk-in appointments
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rite Aid
110 Mitchells Chance Road, Edgewater
410-956-9411
Cost: $29.99, accepts insurance
Age: 9 years and older
Hours: walk-in appointments
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Owensville Primary Care
134 Owensville Road, West River
410-867-4700
Cost: free clinic
Hours: Tuesdays, from 2 to 5 p.m. (starting Oct. 2)
Walk-in, appointments not required

Righttime Medical Care
2114 Generals Highway, Annapolis
888-808-6483
Cost: $15 (self-pay)
Age: 6 months and up
Hours: by appointment or walk-in
Monday-Sunday 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Safeway
52 West Central Avenue, Edgewater
410-919-1156
Cost: $30, accepts insurance
Age: 9 and above
Hours: walk-in appointments
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Super Giant
13 Lee Airpark Drive, Edgewater
410-956-4150
Cost: $30, accepts insurance
Age: 17 and older
Hours: walk-in appointments
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Walgreens
3106 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater
410-956-8319
Cost: $31.99, accepts insurance
Age: 18 and older
Hours: walk-in appointments
Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.