Flu shots to be given

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By Portia Williams

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GREENUP, Ky. — The Greenup County Health Department (GCHD) will be providing free flu shots to anyone three years of age and older on Thursday, Nov. 5, 10a.m. to 2 p.m. on the parking lot of the South Shore American Legion Hall. There are 500 free flu shots available.

According to GCHD, flu shot recipients do not have to be residents of Greenup County. This flu shot clinic will feature a drive through approach where people enter the parking lot of the American Legion and work their way through a series of stations to receive their vaccine.

Cassie Mace, nurse and health educator of GCHD, said the drive-through method is the most efficient way to obtain a flu shot.

“A drive-through clinic is one of the easiest ways for people to get their flu shot,” Mace said. “By utilizing a drive through format, people seeking a flu vaccine don’t have to leave the comfort of their car and usually receive their vaccine faster than a traditional flu shot clinic.”

According to GCHD, the clinic on Nov. 5, 2015 provides a unique opportunity for the public to receive a free flu shot to protect their heath. Additionally, the clinic allows health department staff to practice giving a large number of flu shots in a short period of time which may be necessary in the event of an emergency. Vaccine was provided through a grant from the Greenup United Methodist Church.

Everyone six months of age and older should get the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available each year. It takes approximately two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu virus. In the meantime, health officials said you are still at risk for getting the flu. That’s why it’s important to get vaccinated as early as possible. The protection from the flu vaccine will last throughout the flu season.

Mace said the flu can lead to hospitalization and in some cases, death.

The flu is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Even health people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. “Getting the flu vaccine is the main way to prevent the flu and its complications,”she said.

For more information regarding the event, please call the GCHD at 606-473-9838. For more information on other places to get a flu shot, please visit the Health Department website at www.greenuphealth.com.

Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.

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