County health departments across North Georgia will soon be administering drive-thru flu shots. District 2 Public Health announced this week that all 13 county health departments it oversees will offer the drive-thru clinics in the coming weeks (see schedule below).
Habersham County’s drive-thru flu clinic is scheduled from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Monday, October 3. White County’s is Tuesday, Oct. 18 at Cleveland Worship Center. Banks, Rabun, and Stephens are among the counties that have scheduled at least two clinics – one each in October and November (see schedule below).
Emergency Preparedness Director, Mark Palen, encourages the public to take advantage of the service.
“Not only does this help our citizens get flu shots easily, but it also serves as an important emergency preparedness medical countermeasures exercise for our public health nurses and health department staff,” he says.
According to the CDC, everyone 6 months and older should get a flu shot, it is especially important for those 55 years old and older, and persons with certain medical conditions who may experience more severe illness from the flu virus.
The quadrivalent vaccine (four-in-one) will serve as the regular flu vaccine and will protect against four different strains of flu, both A and B strains of the influenza viruses. The high-dose vaccine, which is also a quadrivalent vaccine, will be available for persons 65 and older.
The flu vaccine will be administered at no cost to those on Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurances.
If an individual chooses to pay out of pocket, the cost is $30 for the regular flu vaccine and $66 for the high-dose.
“Individuals who would like to receive their flu shot at drive-thru clinics must be 18 years old and older. We encourage residents to wear masks,” says District 2 spokesperson Natasha Young.
For more information about your county flu shot drive-thru or to learn more about the different flu vaccine options visit the flu page on the District 2 Public Health website.
To learn more about the influenza virus and how to protect yourself from the flu visit www.cdc.gov/flu.
