Mayor Michael Pantelides and County Executive Steve Schuh invite residents to take advantage of getting a free flu shot on Saturday, September 30.
The City of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, the Anne Arundel County Department of Health, the City and County Offices of Emergency Management (OEM), and numerous other agencies are coordinating the area’s second drive-through flu vaccine clinic. The flu clinic will be held on Saturday, September 30th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Gate 6), located at 550 Taylor Avenue in Annapolis. Free seasonal flu shots will be offered to anyone who is six months of age and older and the vaccines will be given on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. The event’s rain date is Wednesday, October 18 from noon to 6 p.m.
“This is the second time that the city and county have partnered to vaccinate our residents, helping to protect them against flu-related illness,” Mayor Pantelides said. “We offered the first drive-through flu clinic in 2015, giving out 1,090 free vaccines and this year we plan to offer 1,500, knowing that vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent the flu.”
Those taking advantage of the drive-through clinic can receive the flu shot from health department nurses without leaving their vehicles. There is also a walk-up area for neighborhood residents and for those using public transportation.
“This exercise is also a critical component of our ongoing efforts to test the city’s pandemic response plans,especially our ability to mass inoculate the public during an epidemic of an infectious disease,” said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Simmons, the Director of Emergency Management.
According to OEM, each year in the United States, thousands of people die from seasonal flu-related complications and approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related causes. Over the years, the peak of flu season has occurred anywhere from December through March. For more information, call 410-216-9167 or visit www.aahealth.org.
Below are the various departments, agencies, and organizations involved in the clinic:
- Anne Arundel County Department of Health
- Annapolis Office of Emergency Management
- Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities
- Annapolis Fire Department
- Annapolis Police Department
- Annapolis Recreation & Parks
- Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management
- Annapolis Department of Transportation
- Anne Arundel County and City of Annapolis Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
- Annapolis Department of Public Works
- Anne Arundel County Volunteer Center