Annual Flu Vaccination Day Drive-Thru
Stay tuned for more information about a possible 2009 Vaccination Day Drive-Thru or
Special H1N1 PODs (Points of Dispensing)!
Aug. 5, 2009 9 a.m. Click here to download a H1N1 volunteer application to assist with vaccinations |
Media Contact: Kevin Hall (859) 288-2384 |
Health department seeks volunteers for fall flu campaign
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is looking for volunteers to help with its fall flu campaign, with a wide range of opportunities available for anyone interested.
“We’re looking for people who can help on the medical side, like giving vaccines, as well as those who can help with paperwork, greet patients, work with inventory and so many other areas,” said LFCHD spokesman Kevin Hall. “We’re anticipating a need of as many as 800-1,000 volunteers to assist throughout the fall.”
The health department anticipates beginning its seasonal flu vaccinations in September when the shots arrive. The seasonal flu shots will be available at the health department, as well as various public clinics located throughout Lexington in September and October. Once the schedule is finalized, details will be available at www.lexingtonhealthdepartment.org and on the LFCHD flu hotline at 288-7529.
The health department will also provide vaccinations for H1N1 flu, commonly referred to as “swine flu,” once the shots are available later this fall. Details of the H1N1 vaccination schedule are unavailable at this time but will be on the LFCHD website and on the flu hotline once they are completed.
“Like the rest of the country, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is anticipating a busy fall getting these vaccines into residents’ arms,” Hall said. “To make sure we meet all of the public’s needs, we will need a large number of properly trained volunteers to work with our dedicated health department staff.”
Potential volunteers will be enrolled in the Lexington-Fayette County Medical Reserve Corps, the local branch of a federal program under the Department of Homeland Security. The MRC uses volunteers of all backgrounds and experiences, including nurses, physicans and other healthcare professionals, both practicing and retired. It is also open to non-medical personnel, including receptionists, drivers, child care providers, technology assistants, greeters and interpreters.
“The MRC is a tremendous asset for Lexington, and we hope to see more people sign up for training as we head into the fall flu season,” Hall said.
For more information on the MRC, visit www.lexingtonmrc.com or call April Thomas at (859) 899-4264.
The 2008 Annual Flu Vaccination Day event is scheduled for
Saturday, October 4, 2008 at Lexmark Parking Lot.
Hope to see you there!
A huge thanks to all staff and volunteers who supported Saturday’s drive-thru flu shot clinic! It was a bigger success than we could have anticipated. We gave 2,401 shots in three hours, far surpassing last year’s final amount of 1,366.
The event is a great example of the wonderful employees and volunteers we’re fortunate to have at the health department. We put in a long day to make this event possible. It was a pleasure to see so many of you smiling and having a good time as we provided this wonderful service to our community.
Most of the people in line had positive things to say about the drive-thru clinic, and we’ve already received e-mails from patients praising your work. Here’s one that came in over the weekend:
"I was very impressed with the clinic setup this morning. I pulled in thinking I'd never get through, and it took no more than 20 minutes! You guys did an incredible job. It was one of the most organized and well-run things I've ever seen. And everyone was very kind. Kudos to you all for such a great job!!”
Thanks again for all your hard work in making this a great day for Lexington and the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
Dr. Melinda Rowe and Rodger Amon
Last year the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department held it's first ever Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinic Exercise. This event was held to train and educate staff in the event of a Pandemic Flu event or other outbreak requiring the Health Department to provide vaccinations to our community.
MRC members along with Health Department staff provided 1,366 free flu vaccinations in 2 1/2 hours. This type of event is vital to our staff and MRC members, who gain knowledge and experience as well as the chance to work together to help our community. Everyone had fun at the exercise and they received a "Shot Happens" t-shirt as a thank-you-for-helping gift.
This year, the goal is to provide 2,000 free flu vaccinations in a similar time period, just 3 hours! The 2008 theme is "Flu Fighters" and all exercise participants will again receive a theme t-shirt and an LFCHD sweatshirt as thanks for helping out!
Join the Lexington-Fayette County Medical Reserve Corps today
so you can help at the 2008 Drive-Thru.
