Discounted $20 flu shots are available through the end of September if individuals bring a new toy to be donated at Phoenix-area NextCare Urgent Care.

For the second week in a row, the state saw fewer reports of confirmed influenza cases, according to a Department of Health Services report released Thursday.

Senior citizens in Arizona have not been affected as much as younger people this flu season, statistics show. According to state figures, a third of the patients have been ages 19 to 49 (33 percent). The next largest group has been ages 5 to 18 (24 percent), followed by the very young, newborn to 4 years old (22 percent). More than three-quarters of cases have been influenza A, which includes the H1N1 strain. H3 is the most predominant subtype of lab-confirmed influenza this year.

After a slight dip last week, lab-confirmed influenza reports increased again in the most recent report on the state Department of Health Services website.

After a slight dip last week, lab-confirmed influenza reports increased again in the most recent report on the state Department of Health Services website.

After a slight dip last week, lab-confirmed influenza reports increased again in the most recent report on the state Department of Health Services website.

Up to 40 percent of Chandler city employees could call in sick in the event of a severe H1N1 “swine flu” virus outbreak this fall, officials say. However, the police and fire departments are putting in place staffing plans so emergency services won’t go unanswered.

With tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff in close proximity, Arizona's universities are taking steps to prepare for swine flu's next assault.

You are not invincible. Even if you're crazy enough to believe you can't get influenza, understand that you can spread the flu to other people. Even those you love. Even people who are at high risk for complications, like your newborn niece or your grandmother.

Millions of doses of flu vaccine will expire at midnight June 30, unsold during this year's mild flu season and written off as trash. Still perfectly good, and possibly useful for a few more years, the vaccine will wind up being destroyed.

WASHINGTON - South Carolina is in. Utah and Alabama, too. And Arizona is close. Some states aren’t waiting for an Aug. 1 deadline to seek help from the federal government in buying anti-flu medicine for a possible pandemic.

WASHINGTON - South Carolina is in. Utah and Alabama, too. And Arizona is close. Some states aren’t waiting for an Aug. 1 deadline to seek help from the federal government in buying anti-flu medicine for a possible pandemic.