Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics Opening Soon in North Georgia

NorthGeorgia – Residents can once again roll in, roll up a sleeve and arm against four strains of flu at Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics opening soon throughout North Georgia.

Always fast, safe, and convenient, public health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties have conducted the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics annually since 2008. These clinics are designed to serve people quickly and efficiently as they remain in their vehicles.

Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics in each of these counties will offer the four-in-one quadrivalent flu vaccine plus the Fluzone High Dose vaccine for people who are sixty-five and older.

Marie Smith, immunization and child health coordinator for North Georgia Health District 1-2 of the Georgia Department of Public Health, said, “Quadrivalent flu vaccine is designed to protect against four different strains of flu, including two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.”

The Fluzone High-Dose influenza vaccine has four times the amount of antigen (the part of the vaccine that prompts the body to make antibodies) contained in regular flu vaccine to provide extra protection for people 65 and older whose immune systems have become weaker with age.

The cost of the quadrivalent flu shot at the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics will be $25 and the Fluzone High-Dose flu shot will cost $50. Cash, Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield Health Insurance will be accepted, as well as some other forms of payment and insurance, depending on the county.

The Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics also provide public health staff and community partners with the opportunity to test their plans for rapidly administering medication during a public health crisis such as a widespread disease outbreak. 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.

The Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics are scheduled in each county, as follows:

Cherokee: Wednesday, October 14th, 7:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M., Woodstock Health Center: 7545 North Main Street, Woodstock, GA. Call (770) 928-0133 or (770) 345-7371 for more details.

Fannin: Thursday, October 1st, 9 A.M. – 5 P.M., The Farmers Market: East First Street, Blue Ridge, GA. Call (706) 632-3023 for more details.

* Gilmer: Thursday, October 15th, 8 A.M. – 4 P.M., Pleasant Grove Baptist Church: 115 Pleasant Grove Road, Ellijay, GA. Call (706) 635-4363 for more details.

Murray: Tuesday, October 13th, 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.

Pickens: Tuesday, September 22nd, 8 A.M. – 4 P.M., Mt. Zion Baptist Church: 1036 North Main Street, Jasper, GA. Call (706) 253-2821 for more details.

Whitfield:Tuesday, October 6th, 8 A.M. – 5:30 P.M., Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center: 2211 Dug Gap Battle Road, Dalton, GA. Call (706) 226-2621 for more details.

* Please note the new location for Gilmer County’s Drive-By Flu Shot Clinic.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccination each season.

The most convenient way to get that vaccination in North Georgia will be at the nearest county health department’s Drive-by Flu Shot Clinic.

For additional details about the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics, call the local county health department or log ontowww.nghd.org (find health department phone numbers on district website by clicking on LOCATIONS tab). To learn more about influenza and flu protection, log onto the CDC’s website atwww.cdc.gov/flu/.