Cherokee County resident, Chris McKee, gave a thumbs up after he and passenger, Duncan McKee, received flu vaccinations at the public health Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinic in Woodstock on September 30th 

North GA – With COVID-19 still circulating, health officials are more urgently encouraging people to get their flu shot this year, and now *1,705 north Georgians have armed themselves against the flu at Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics led by Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield county health departments.

Conducted each fall in the North Georgia Health District since 2007, all six county Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics took place this year within the last two weeks of September.

Residents drove in for their flu shots, remaining safely in their vehicles, separated from others, while health department staff wore COVID-19 protective gear to guard against any possible transmission of the coronavirus. The vaccine provided included a quadrivalent flu vaccine that protects against four strains of flu, and for people 65 and older, a similar option was offered but is also a high dose flu shot that contains four times the protective antigen for those whose immune systems tend to weaken with age.

Besides being a safe and convenient method for a flu vaccination, the Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics provide an opportunity for county health departments and partnering agencies to test local plans for rapidly administering vaccine or medication during a public health crisis. Participating community partners include local law enforcement, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), businesses and first responders such as the county Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services and Fire Departments.

At this time of year through spring, influenza viruses circulate at higher levels in the U.S., so a well-timed flu shot reduces the chances of getting seasonal flu and spreading it to others. When more people are vaccinated, less flu spreads through communities.

In addition to a flu shot, other actions to prevent the spread of flu and other viruses should include:

• Washing hands often with soap and warm water, if available – if not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub
• Covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then dispose of the tissue
• Avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth – germs spread this way
• Avoiding close contact with sick people
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu
• Staying home if experiencing flu-like symptoms – fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny nose, fatigue or vomiting and/or diarrhea – remain home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without the aid of medication to keep from infecting others

Additionally, as with COVID-19, it is important to wear a mask or cloth face covering since this also helps prevent the spread of influenza and other respiratory viruses.

Because of the continued spread of coronavirus, it is more significant than ever that residents protect against the flu, reducing the dangerous risk of having both illnesses at the same time and to help avert a severe flu season that, combined with COVID-19 illnesses, could overwhelm our healthcare infrastructure.

For more information about influenza, log onto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/flu.

To contact a county health department in the North Georgia Health District for a flu shot and other services, or to find the nearest health department location, log onto www.nghd.org and click the LOCATIONS tab.

*Of the 1705 residents vaccinated this year at the Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics in North Georgia, the county health departments provided the following numbers of doses:

Cherokee County…….  290                    Gilmer County…………  140                    Pickens County……….   136

Fannin County…………  125                    Murray County………..  198                    Whitfield County……..  816