AUGUSTA – The American Lung Association of Maine has added a new feature on its Web site, www.mainelung.org, in time for the start of flu season. It allows people to type in their zip code to find the public flu vaccine clinic closest to them.

Jane Ann McNeish, Lung Association spokeswoman said, “We are adding more public sites as the information becomes available to us. If they don’t find a site close to them, individuals should contact hospitals or health centers for other locations.”

This “flu shot locator” also provides user-friendly tips for treating the flu, as well as tips about how to avoid getting sick in the first place.

The flu shot locator is part of the Lung Association’s education campaign targeting the 100,000 Maine asthmatics, 20,000 of whom are under the age of 18. The association is urging them to “stick with the flu shot” since it’s one of the most effective preventive measures to staying healthy. The flu shot is the only form of vaccine proven safe for people in certain high-risk groups, including young children, the elderly and people with asthma or lung disease, according to the association.

“Despite the risks associated with the flu, currently only 10 percent of children and 30 percent of adults with asthma get vaccinated for the flu each year,” said Dr. Lee Ann Baggott of Augusta.

Dr. Baggott added that the low rate of vaccination for these groups may reflect earlier concerns by doctors that flu shots were unsafe for people with asthma. While this fear has since been disproved by peer-reviewed research, including a study commissioned by the Lung Association, not everyone with asthma has been fully informed.