Covington, Ga. (Oct. 5, 2020) – Piedmont Newton Hospital will hold its fourth annual free ‘drive-thru’ flu shot clinic on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020 from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. Hospital employees will be administering 300 flu shots on a first come, first served basis in the parking lot located at the corner of Newton Drive and N. Dearing Street. Those wishing to receive a vaccination during the ‘drive-thru’ clinic are encouraged to arrive early.
“Receiving an annual flu vaccination is the best way to help prevent contracting the flu,” said Norris Little, M.D., chief medical officer at Piedmont Newton Hospital. “We will be providing 300 free flu shots to individuals age 15 and older during our event, but we recommend that everyone six months and older receives a flu shot.”
Those who cannot make the event are encouraged to book an appointment for a flu shot with their primary care physician, at a Piedmont QuickCare or Piedmont Urgent Care by WellStreet location.
This year’s flu season, however, looks a little different than most, as we’re also dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, but vaccine developers and other researchers and manufacturers are expediting the development of a vaccine to prevent COVID-19. But there’s one major way to help prevent flu and that’s the flu shot.
“A flu shot is the first and most important step in protecting against flu,” said Dr. Little. “The flu shot has been proven to reduce cases of the flu and if you do still contract the flu virus, you’ll likely have milder symptoms and a lower risk of hospitalization and death.”
The flu and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses that have very similar symptoms, but these two illnesses are caused by different viruses and they’re treated differently. Some of the most common symptoms seen with both flu and COVID-19 are fever, sore throat and cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, a runny nose, headache and body aches or muscle soreness. If you have symptoms of flu or COVID-19, call your doctor’s office or schedule a virtual visit as soon as possible.
“Using preventative measures like washing your hands, wearing a mask in public and watching your distance are more important than ever,” said Dr. Little. “We are requesting that anyone planning to attend the drive thru flu shot clinic wear a mask to reduce the risk of spreading germs to others.”
For more information on the benefits of receiving a flu vaccination or to schedule an appointment online to receive a flu shot, visit www.piedmont.org/flu.