Just Roll In. Roll Up a Sleeve. And, ARM Against the FLU!
North Georgia – Get ready to drive through and beat the flu at one of six public health Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics happening soon in North Georgia.
Since 2008, public health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties have conducted these special flu shot clinics, making it possible for residents to roll in, roll up a sleeve and arm against the flu safely, quickly and efficiently while remaining in their vehicles.
The Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics serve people ages 18 and over.
The types of flu vaccine that will be offered at the clinics are the four-in-one quadrivalent flu vaccine and the Fluzone High Dose vaccine for people sixty-five and older.
Quadrivalent flu vaccine protects people against four different strains of flu, including two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.
The Fluzone High-Dose flu vaccine is for people 65 years of age and older because it has four times the amount of protective antigen for immune systems that tend to weaken with age.
The cost of the quadrivalent flu shot is $25 and the Fluzone High-Dose flu shot is $65. Cash, Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield Health and United Healthcare Insurance will be accepted along with other forms of payment and insurance, depending on the county.
While arming residents against the flu at the Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics, public health staff and community partners test their plans for standing up a temporary Point of Dispensing (POD) to rapidly administer medication during a public health crisis. Participating community partners include local law enforcement, volunteers, businesses and first responders such as the county Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services and Fire Department.
This year, the Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics are scheduled in each county, as follows:
Cherokee: Tuesday, September 25th, 9 A.M. – 2 P.M., Woodstock City Church: 150 Ridgewalk Parkway, Woodstock, GA. Call (770) 928-0133 or (770) 345-7371 for more details.
Pickens: Tuesday, September 25th, 8:30 A.M. – 3 P.M., Mt. Zion Baptist Church: 1036 North Main Street, Jasper, GA. Call (706) 253-2821 for more details.
Fannin: Wednesday, September 26th, 9 A.M. – 3 P.M., The Farmers Market: East First Street, Blue Ridge, GA. Call (706) 632-3023 for more details.
Whitfield: Tuesday, October 2nd, 9 A.M. – 5 P.M., Dalton Convention Center: 2211 Dug Gap Battle Road, Dalton, GA. Call (706) 279-9600 for more details.
Gilmer: Thursday, October 4th, 8:30 A.M. – 2 P.M., Pleasant Grove Baptist Church: 115 Pleasant Grove Road, Ellijay, GA. Call (706) 635-4363 for more details.
Murray: Tuesday, October 9th, 8 A.M. – 6 P.M., Murray County Parks and Recreation Department: 651 Hyden Tyler Road, Chatsworth, GA. Call (706) 695-4585 for more details.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed days from work and school, and it can prevent flu-related hospitalizations. As people get vaccinated, they are not only protecting themselves, but they are also helping to prevent the spread of the flu to others, including older people, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications.
The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccination. The most convenient way to get that vaccination in North Georgia is at the nearest public health Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinic.
For additional details about the Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics, call the local county health department. To learn more about influenza and flu protection, log onto the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/flu/.