A Drive-By Shot of Flu Prevention

Vaccine on the Go Offered at 2 Sites

By Kafia A. Hosh

Thursday, October 16, 2008

You can order more than a latte or sandwich from the convenience of your car this weekend. One health center is serving up orders of the flu shot at $25 a pop.

Nova Medical and Urgent Care Center is offering the drive-through clinics in Ashburn and Sterling. People drive in, fill out a consent form and have a nurse take their temperature. Then they drive up to another nurse, roll up a sleeve and receive the shot.

"You don't have to leave your car at all," said Melissa Derecola, marketing manager for the center, which began offering the drive-through option last year.

As flu season kicks in this month, Loudoun County health officials are encouraging residents to take advantage of such opportunities. Many sites, including grocery stores and gyms, are able to offer flu shots thanks to an increase in the availability of the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a record number of doses, 143 million to 146 million, will be produced for use in the United States this year.

Last week, the Loudoun Health Department began administering $30 flu shots at its Community Health Services office in Leesburg. Several private groups are giving the vaccinations at a lower cost throughout the county, said David Goodfriend, the department's director. "We recommend that people first look into the community," he said.

To find where flu shots are being offered in their neighborhood, residents can enter their Zip code into the American Lung Association's flu clinic locator at www.flucliniclocator.org.

Goodfriend advised Loudoun residents to get vaccinated early, especially children older than 6 months, people older than 65, pregnant women and anyone with heart or lung problems. Anyone living with someone in one of those high-risk groups also should receive a flu shot, he said.

"You should get one just so you don't bring [the flu] back to them," Goodfriend said.

Flu season typically runs from October through March and peaks in February. There have been three documented cases of the flu in Loudoun so far this season, and the Health Department suspects there are more, Goodfriend said.

The drive-through clinics will be Saturday at the Nova Medical and Urgent Care Center's office at 21785 Filigree Ct. in Ashburn and Sunday at the Exxon station at 46373 Bartholomew Fair Dr. in Sterling. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. For more information, call 703-554-1100.

Last year, about 400 people received the drive-by vaccinations, and the center expects about 600 people to visit the clinics this weekend.

The clinics are a good option for people who have no time to schedule an office visit, Derecola said. And going to a regular clinic for a flu shot can end up being time-consuming, she said, noting that a walk-in patient might have to wait if another patient has a more urgent medical need.

The average wait time at the drive-through clinics is five to 10 minutes, depending on the number of vehicles, Derecola said. Patients typically include busy families and single professionals running their weekend errands. "This was a very streamlined way for people looking to get their flu shot quickly and get on with the rest of their day," she said.

The clinics are open to patients age 1 and older. The center accepts cash or personal checks for the $25 payment.

If they wait until November, Loudoun residents will have a chance to get a free flu shot. The Health Department is planning an annual exercise that tests its ability to administer mass vaccinations in the event of a flu pandemic. The emergency drill will be Nov. 8, and volunteers will be vaccinated.

Goodfriend said this year's drill will focus on improving the staging areas where the flu shots are given. The exercise ensures "that when a real event occurs, we've made our plans as practical and as effective as possible," he said.

To sign up for the flu pandemic exercise, visit www.loudoun.gov/freeflushot.

Tagged: health, health care, Loudoun Health Department

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