It’s time to get a flu vaccine and, to make that easy, Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City will hold a drive-thru clinic.
Annette Viox, the hospital’s infection prevention manager, said the clinic will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, in the parking lot of the Mercy Cancer Center-Jefferson, 1350 Hwy. 61.
“There are no appointments,” she said.
“You can just drive up, show up at your convenience.
“We want to prevent people from getting sick, getting hospitalized and deaths that can occur from influenza.”
Viox said everyone 6 months old and older should get a flu shot, but a Mercy spokesman said under state regulations, children younger than 7 cannot be vaccinated at the drive-thru clinic.
Participants should bring their insurance card, the spokesman said.
Viox said it is hard to predict what might happen during flu season, which typically starts in late September and ends in May.
“However, we do look at the Southern Hemisphere,” she said.
“For example, Australia is one of the areas that we look at because their flu season occurs prior to ours.
“(Australia’s flu season) started in April, and they have had higher volumes of influenza cases compared with the previous two years. We’re watching that.”
During the past flu season in Jefferson County, 1,291 cases and four flu-related deaths were reported, according to the Jefferson County Health Department.
The county’s worst flu season on record was in 2017-2018, with 3,982 reported cases and 16 deaths, according to the Health Department.
For those who cannot attend the drive-thru clinic, she recommended they arrange a shot through a local pharmacy, their doctor or the Jefferson County Health Department.
Viox said if you do come down with the flu, stay home.
“Contact your health care provider if you think you need medical care. Stay hydrated, have a well-balanced diet to keep your immune system healthy and to boost your immune system,” she said.
Viox said people can visit mercy.net/jeffersonflushots for information on the upcoming clinic.