The Rappahannock Area Health District will conduct public health emergency exercises offering free flu shots Wednesday, October 14 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Wright’s Chapel UMC, at 8063 Ladysmith Road in Ruther Glen, Va.
This will be a drive-thru event and all safety precautions will be observed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event offers free quadrivalent flu vaccines, which covers four types of flu, to residents ages 9 and up, from the convenience of a vehicle. Vaccine supplies are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until the end time of the event, or until the supply of flu vaccine runs out.
Attendees are asked to wear a mask and short-sleeved shirt or sleeves that roll up for easy access to the upper arm.
The purpose of this exercise is to simulate mass vaccination events in which the health department and local agencies would work together so community members could be vaccinated efficiently during a time of emergency.
Rappahannock Medical Reserve Corps volunteers will assist health department staff with this exercise. The vaccine is provided by the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Emergency Preparedness.
“This year it is more important than ever to get a flu shot,” said RAHD Acting Director Dr. Denise Bonds. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 will likely continue into the fall and winter and may overlap with the flu season. With the possibility of both viruses being in our communities at the same time, it is vital that everyone age 6 months or older get their yearly flu shot.”
“Other prevention measures include practicing good hygiene by frequently washing your hands or using alcohol?based sanitizers when water is unavailable,” Dr. Bonds added. “Always cover your cough and sneezes, stay at home when you are sick, and limit your contact with others who are sick.”
The CDC estimates that each year over the last decade, influenza has caused 9 to 45 million illnesses, 140,000 to 810,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000 to 61,000 deaths.
For more information about the flu, visit vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/influenza-flu-in-virginia/.
