BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana health officials want more people to get a flu shot in a state that has among the highest levels of flu activity so far this season.

  

The state health department says free flu shots will be available Thursday, from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at parish health units across the state. The health units have extended evening hours to accommodate people leaving work or school.

  

A full list of sites is available online .

  

The health department says the flu causes about 500 deaths and nearly 3,000 hospitalizations annually in Louisiana. But the numbers spiked last year with a more severe flu season, to more than 15,000 hospitalizations and 1,600 deaths.

  

The department recommends a yearly flu shot for anyone over six months of age without a complicating medical condition.