Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics return to North Georgia in October. Conducted annually by county health departments in the North Georgia Health District 1-2, these clinics allow residents ages 18 and older to conveniently remain in their vehicle while local public health professionals safely and effectively arm them against the flu.
The shot is available at no cost through most health coverage plans. If paying out of pocket, the price is still relatively low at $25 for a regular flu vaccine and $65 for a high-dose flu vaccine for people 65 and older.
The Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics are scheduled in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties.
— Murray County: Tuesday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Murray County Recreation Department, 651 Hyden Tyler Road, Chatsworth, (706) 695-4585.
— Whitfield County: Thursday, Oct. 3, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Whitfield County Health Department (upper parking lot), 800 Professional Blvd., Dalton, (706) 279-9600.
This season in the U.S. the updated standard flu vaccine that comprises the regular dose will be trivalent instead of quadrivalent. That means it will protect against three different influenza viruses: one influenza A(H1N1) virus, one influenza A(H3N2) virus and one influenza B/Victoria lineage virus. It will not include protection against an influenza B/Yamagata lineage virus as in recent years because that strain has not been detected in the global surveillance for actively circulating influenza viruses since March 2020.
The high-dose flu vaccine will also be trivalent but will continue to contain four times more antigen than the regular dose. High-dose flu vaccine is for people 65 years and older due to their higher risk of developing severe flu complications than that of young, healthy adults. This increased risk is partly due to changes in immune defenses with age. People 65 years and older bear the most significant burden of severe flu disease and related hospitalizations and deaths.
While protecting residents against the flu at the Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinics, public health staff at the county and district levels collaborate with community partners to test and update their plans for setting up temporary Points of Distribution to administer medication rapidly during a public health crisis. These community partners include local law enforcement, volunteers, businesses and first responders such as each county’s emergency management agency, emergency medical services and fire department.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctor 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 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, all of whom are more vulnerable to serious flu complications.
The best way to protect against influenza and its potentially serious complications is with a flu vaccine.
You can learn more from the CDC about the 2024-25 influenza vaccine and the necessity for vaccination at www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/flushot.htm.
Submitted by the North Georgia Health District 1-2.