Drive-thru flu

clinic is Oct. 2

PUTNAM — From 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 2 the Northeast District Department of Health (NDDH) will host a drive-thru flu clinic at Putnam Middle School on Wicker Street. According to clinic organizers, this “drive-thru to avoid the flu” outdoor setting will provide an opportunity for people age 18 or older to get a free flu shot while they remain seated in their car. This will be the second such clinic held in northeast Connecticut by NDDH.

“There were many lessons learned from conducting our first drive-thru clinic in Killingly last year, which made the planning of the Putnam clinic more efficient,” said NDDH

Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Derek May. “The primary reason for this exercise is to test local and regional emergency plans to dispense a lot of medication in a short amount of time. If there were ever an imminent threat from a pandemic or anthrax attack, our entire NDDH population of over 85,000 residents might need to get preventive medication within just a few days, and the “drive-thru” model is one way to help reach a lot of people quickly.”

Free flu shots will be limited to the first 100 adults who register by calling the health department at 860-774-7350. These enrolled participants will be asked to save time and help to improve clinic performance by downloading and completing a short immunization consent form and reviewing the vaccine information statement available at  http://www.nddh.org/newsevents/.

“As a side benefit of this emergency exercise, we will be able to perform a real public service by delivering 100 free flu shots to adults age 18 or older who attend,” said NDDH Public Health Nurse Nancy Beaudry.

The clinic will be staffed by members of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), public health volunteers affiliated with NDDH who provide medical and non-medical support roles such as vaccinators, traffic direction, setup, communication, and other support services. Anyone who would like to assist at the clinic, learn more about MRC or future volunteer opportunities should contact Derek May at NDDH by calling 860-774-7350 x. 25 or via email at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The drive thru clinic is made possible by public health preparedness funds.

 

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