LAGRANGE — A free drive-up clinic offering flu and COVID-19 vaccinations will be open to all residents of LaGrange and surrounding counties on Friday, October 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a collaboration product with Topeka Pharmacy and Super Shot.
Hannah Smith, Clinical Pharmacy Manager, Topeka Pharmacy, said: “Now we also have two years of experience showing that the latest COVID vaccines are safe and effective against many types of coronaviruses. It may not work, but it can help ensure protection against severe and life-threatening cases of influenza and COVID.
“Both influenza and COVID-19 particularly threaten those most at risk: those over the age of 65 and those with chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and COPD,” she continued. Healthy people have a responsibility to get vaccinated and prevent the spread of flu and COVID to at-risk members of our communities.”
At the October 14th event, anyone over the age of 6 months can receive a free flu and/or a free COVID vaccine.
For persons with medical insurance, insurance will be billed where applicable. Please call 260-463-9389 with any questions.
flu is serious
While not as deadly as COVID-19, the flu still weakens and kills vulnerable Hoosiers every year.
According to the Indiana Department of Health, on average, 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu each year, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with complications from the flu.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the flu vaccine annually. Drive-up events will use her regular quadrivalent flu vaccine (covering her four strains of the flu virus) and the high-dose or “enhanced” flu vaccine recommended for those 65 and older.
COVID vaccination information
Clinic vaccinators on Oct. 14, 1st or 2nd dose of the first COVID vaccine series plus a bivalent booster that protects against the original coronavirus strain and recent BA.4 and BA.5 variants can provide The clinic has a Pfizer bivalent booster and a Moderna bivalent booster may also be available.
Immunization specialists will come to the drive-up clinic to answer questions and ensure that each person receives the correct vaccine based on CDC recommendations for age and other factors.
Immunization personnel familiar with the needs of young patients are also on hand to provide professional support to children.
Super Shot clinical manager Staci Kaczmarek said: “At this event, we will be providing first, second and booster doses of the COVID vaccine. If new bivalent boosters are approved for children ages 5-11 prior to the event, we will also make them available.” Our immunization specialists will help parents understand what their children need based on the latest recommendations.”
Guests must be appropriately dressed so that the clinic volunteers can easily access their upper arms for vaccination.
Anyone with signs or symptoms of illness is asked not to attend this event and to stay home. If you think you may have COVID-19, test sites are located at: https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/.
According to the CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 include fever/chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea and taste or New loss of sense of smell.
Many of these symptoms may also be related to the flu.
The campus of Parkview LaGrange Hospital is located on Townline Road just north of US 20 in LaGrange. Due to Parkview’s health policy, masks are required indoors.
