Cumberland Plateau health district tests preparedness capabilities while providing free flu Vaccinations to the public

September 24, 2020

Media Contact: Delilah McFadden, PH Emergency Coordinator, Cumberland Plateau Health District, 276-415-3367

Cumberland Plateau health district tests preparedness capabilities while providing free flu Vaccinations to the public

[Lebanon, Va.]– The Cumberland Plateau Health District will hold two drive-thru flu clinics offering free quadrivalent flu vaccine (covers four types of flu) to Virginia residents ages 3 and up, from the convenience and comfort of your vehicle. On Tuesday, October 1, 2020 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a drive-thru flu clinic will be held at the Valley View Baptist Church (Dickenson Highway) in Clintwood, Virginia.  On Monday, October 5, 2020 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a drive-thru flu clinic will be held at the Tazewell County Fairgrounds (515 Fairground Road) in Tazewell, Virginia. No insurance or ID is required. Vaccines are limited, and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please wear a short-sleeved shirt or sleeves that roll up for easy access to the upper arm. Also, you must wear a facial mask in order to be vaccinated.

The purpose of this drive-thru exercise is to simulate a mass vaccination event in which the health department and local agencies would work together so community members are vaccinated efficiently during a time of emergency.

A registration form is available online: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/cumberland-plateau/. You may print and fill out the form (required sections marked by yellow), sign and bring it with you to the clinic. This will simplify the paperwork at the clinic, but it does NOT reserve a dose of vaccine, which is available while supplies last.

The Cumberland Plateau Health District encourages residents to stay healthy and help keep the people closest to them healthy by getting a seasonal flu vaccine, which is the best way to prevent seasonal flu. Additional ways to prevent the flu are washing your hands frequently, covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and staying home if you do get sick so you don’t spread the illness to others. While the timing of flu season is unpredictable, seasonal flu activity often begins to increase in October, most commonly peaks between December and February, but can last as late as May. CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get a flu vaccine by the end of October. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body to protect against flu virus infection.

“Getting a flu vaccination this year is more important than ever,” said Eleanor Cantrell, M.D., director of the Cumberland Plateau and LENOWISCO Health Districts. “According to the CDC, COVID-19 will likely continue into the fall and winter and may overlap with the flu season. With the possibility of both viruses occurring in our communities at the same time, it is vital that everyone age 6 months or older get their yearly flu shot.”

For more information about the drive-thru flu clinic, contact Delilah McFadden, PH Local Health Emergency Coordinator for the Cumberland Plateau Health District, (276) 415-3367. For more information on seasonal flu or the flu vaccine, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/influenza-flu-in-virginia or www.cdc.gov/flu.

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