October 23, 2014
(Palmyra, VA) — Thomas Jefferson Health District (TJHD) staff and Medical Reserve Corps volunteers will test their capacity to respond to a major public health event by providing free flu shots in Fluvanna. Thanks to a partnership with the County of Fluvanna and the Fluvanna County Schools, the exercise will be held at the Central Elementary School located at 3430 Central Plains Rd. in Palmyra from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29th. The vaccine is available to anyone who is at least three years of age.
“This flu shot clinic is an excellent opportunity for the health department to test our ability to respond to public health emergencies while also providing community members with the influenza vaccine and its protection from influenza,” said Dr. Charles Devine, TJHD Interim Health Director.
The exercise, including the flu vaccine, is funded through the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, which is responsible for responding to any emergency impacting public health through preparation, collaboration, education and rapid intervention. Exercises such as this contribute to the local health department’s ability to provide widespread access to vaccine during public health emergencies.
The clinic will help TJHD test three different competencies related to emergency preparedness and response:
- Managing a large scale public health event
- Testing patient and clinic flow
- Administering vaccines in an efficient and timely manner