Free Flu Shots at White Oak Fire Station – Saturday, Sept. 23

September 11, 2017

For More Information, Contact

  • Lorrie Andrew-Spear, VDH-Northern Region Public Information Officer – 703-530-2627

 

Rappahannock Area Health District Flu Clinic is 9 a.m. – Noon

(Fredericksburg, Va.)— The Virginia Department of Health’s Rappahannock Area Health District will offer free flu shots Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. until noon at the White Oak Fire Station, 12 Newton Road in Fredericksburg. The Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia is hosting the event for the second year in a row. All are welcome to come receive their free annual flu shot; you do not have to be a member of the tribe.

Influenza, or “the flu,” is a highly-contagious respiratory disease. Typical flu symptoms include fever, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches and fatigue.

“We are happy to partner with the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia again this year to make getting the annual flu shot convenient to local residents and Tribe members,” said Rappahannock Area Health District Director Brooke Rossheim, M.D., M.P.H. “Vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza and its potentially severe complications.”

The vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of complications from the flu. These groups include:

  • Pregnant and postpartum women, or those who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
  • Persons over 65 years of age, including residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities;
  • People who have chronic lung or heart problems, including asthma; and
  • People who have other serious medical conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, anemia, cancer, weak immune systems (including those with HIV) or a seizure disorder.

Each year in the U.S. approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized due to flu illness, and flu-related deaths range from 3,000 to 49,000 each year, averaging 24,000 per year over the last three decades.

To minimize your risk of catching the flu and passing it on to others, follow these simple steps:

  • Get a flu shot each year;
  • Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds;
  • Cover your cough by using a disposable tissue or coughing into your sleeve, not your hand; and
  • Stay home when you are sick.

For more information, call the Rappahannock Area Health District at 540-899-4797 or visit www.vdh.virginia.gov.