Drive-thru flu vaccine clinic provides ounce of prevention at no cost to patients
Sep. 21—Americans are attracted to convenience in almost everything we do, from shopping to grabbing a bite to eat and even when obtaining a bit of basic health care.
That's why Barbara Perry, Arlene Hunter, Dan Holliday and a slew of others dropped by a drive-thru vaccination clinic held Wednesday at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital for patients interested in protecting themselves against influenza.
"I love coming here. I come every year," said Perry, 74. "It's so easy — and painless."
Health experts warn the upcoming flu season may arrive early and could be stronger than in the past couple of years, Michelle Willow, director of external communications for Dignity Health's Southern California Division, said in an email.
Getting vaccinated early in the season not only protects individuals, but also helps protect the larger community against serious illness and hospitalization from influenza, she said.
That's why Mercy and Memorial Hospitals are offering a series of free drive-thru flu clinics that began Saturday at Mercy and continued Wednesday in the parking lot on the east side of Memorial.
More clinics will be scheduled, Willow said.
At Memorial on Wednesday, motorists were able to drive up to a spot near a shade structure set up in the parking lot.
They didn't even have to get out of their car.
"These girls are good," Hunter, 73, said of the Bakersfield College nursing students who collected medical information from her and provided what she said was a painless injection.
"I come every year to the drive-thru because it's easy and convenient," Hunter said. "It's just good."
Julia Garza, a registered nurse with Dignity Health, was there keeping watch over everything.
Every patient fills out a short questionnaire, she said, and then the questionnaire is reviewed with the patient before he or she is vaccinated.
"Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death," Dignity Health said in a news release. "'Flu season' in the United States begins in early fall and can last as late as May.
"An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce the chances of getting seasonal flu and spreading it to others," the release said. "Getting a flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors' visits and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations."
Minor reactions to the shots are not uncommon, Garza said. They may include headache, runny nose or sniffles, or some soreness in the arm that received the shot.
More rarely, a patient can have an allergic reaction such as anaphylaxis, a severe, potentially life-threatening reaction.
"We always have an EpiPen on hand," Garza said. "But we've never had to use it. I've worked with Dignity more than five years, and we do flu clinics all over Kern County."
Holliday, 65, said he gets a flu shot every year, although he usually goes to his pharmacy.
He volunteered that he's also fully vaccinated against COVID, with two boosters.
"I have several risk factors," he said. "I firmly believe in protecting myself."
Reporter Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC.
