BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – St. Joseph’s Hospital will hold a drive-through flu clinic on October 14 and 28, giving the community an easy way to receive the vaccine from the comfort of their own cars.
The clinicswill be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the rear of the hospital property near the Pallotti Pavillion to avoid traffic congestion with the COVID testing site in front of the hospital. Patients should follow the posted directional signage.
Two vaccines are offered this year. The quadrivalent vaccine guards against four strains of flu rather than the usual three and is available to those over the age of 12. These four-in-one vaccines will protect against two common Type A strains called H1N1 and H3N2, and the two distinct strains of Type B. The FLUAD quadrivalent vaccine is available for those over the age of 65 and contains four times the amount of antigen as the standard vaccine, which may be benificial to older adults.
Flu vaccinations are free to patients with a valid Medicare card and are $30 for the quadrivalent vaccine and $90 for the FLUAD vaccine for all other patients. For those with Medicare, please be prepared to show your card when registering for the vaccine. For those paying for the vaccine, cash or check will be accepted.
People should begin getting vaccinated soon after the flu vaccine becomes available in order to ensure that as many people as possible are protected before flu season begins. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection.
The vaccination is extremely important for young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women, people with existing medical conditions, and people who are in contact with those at greatest risk. Vaccinations will be available at the clinic for anyone over the age of 12. Parents or legal guardiants should contact their family physician for information on vaccines for children under the age of 12.