September 17, 2020
For More Information, Contact Kathy Hatter, VDH: 540-718-1851
Health Department Offers Free Flu Vaccination Clinics in October
Drive-Through Events in Madison, Warrenton and Brandy Station
(Culpeper, Va.)— Getting a flu vaccine is the single best way to protect against the flu, and is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rappahannock‐Rapidan Health District (RRHD) will conduct public health emergency exercises offering free flu shots in three locations this October. These will be drive-thru events to enable safety precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Thursday, October 1, 2020 – 4:30 to 7 p.m., Madison Volunteer Fire Department, 1223 N. Main St., Madison
- Thursday, October 8, 2020 – 4:30 to 7 p.m., Fauquier High School, 705 Waterloo Road, Warrenton
- Thursday, October 15, 2020 – 4:30 to 7 p.m., Brandy Station Volunteer Fire Department, 19601 Church Road, Brandy Station
The event offers free quadrivalent flu vaccines (covers four types of flu) to residents ages 3 and up, from the convenience of your vehicle. Vaccine supplies are limited and will be available on a first- come, first- served basis until 7 p.m. or until the supply of flu vaccine runs out. Please wear a mask and short-sleeved shirt or sleeves that roll up for easy access to the upper arm.
The purpose of these exercises is to simulate a mass vaccination event in which the health department and local agencies would work together so community members could be vaccinated efficiently during a time of emergency. Rappahannock‐Rapidan Medical Reserve Corps volunteers will assist health department staff with this exercise. The vaccine is provided by the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Emergency Preparedness.
“Getting a flu shot this year is more important than ever,” said RRHD Director Wade Kartchner, M.D., M.P.H. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 will likely continue into the fall and winter and may overlap with the flu season. With the possibility of both viruses being in our communities at the same time, it is vital that everyone age 6 months or older get their yearly flu shot.”
Dr. Kartchner continued, “Other prevention measures include practicing good hygiene by frequently washing your hands or using alcohol‐based sanitizers when water is unavailable. Always cover your cough and sneezes, stay at home when you are sick, and limit your contact with others who are sick.”
The CDC estimates that each year over the last decade, influenza has caused 9 to 45 million illnesses, 140,000 to 810,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 to 61,000 deaths.
For more information about the flu, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/influenza-flu-in-virginia/ or www.flu.gov. For more information about the Rappahannock‐Rapidan Health District, visit www.rrhd.org.
###