Fight the flu with free flu shots

Fight the flu!

Parents and kids, join us to help fight the flu

Influenza (the flu) is a serious illness you can get from anyone infected.

Prisma Health is helping protect you and your family with free flu shots throughout Richland, Lexington, Fairfield, Kershaw and Sumter counties. The flu shot is available for anyone six months and older.

• Flu shots will be administered by drive-through, with the exception of the 9 Medical Park lobby location.
• For drive-through locations, there will be limited capacity to provide vaccines outside of the vehicle for children, if needed.
• Flu shots at 9 Medical Park will be administered in the first floor lobby area every Wednesday and Thursday in October from 3–6 p.m.
• High-dosage flu vaccines for individuals age 65 and over will be offered at all locations except Fairfield Middle School and Dent Middle School.
• Please wear a short-sleeve shirt or loose-fitting clothing that can easily roll up to assist with vaccines.
• Face masks or shields will be required, along with temperature checks. Anyone with a fever will not be allowed a flu shot vaccine.

Schedule

Wednesday, Oct. 7–Thursday, Oct. 29, 3–6 p.m.
(Every Wednesday and Thursday)

• Prisma Health Richland Hospital Campus
  9 Richland Medical Park Dr., Columbia, SC 29203

Saturday, Oct. 3, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

• Lower Richland High School
  2615 Lower Richland Blvd., Hopkins, SC 29061
• First Baptist Church, Camden
  1201 Broad St., Camden, SC 29020

Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

• Dent Middle School*
  2721 Decker Blvd., Columbia, SC 29206
• Sumter High School
  2580 McCray’s Mill Rd., Sumter, SC 29154
  (Enter through gate 1)

Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

• St. Andrews Middle School

  1231 Bluefield Dr., Columbia, SC 29210

• Fairfield Middle School*
  728 U.S. Highway 321 Bypass S., Winnsboro, SC 29180

Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m.–1 p.m

• Brookland Baptist Church

  1066 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia, SC 29169

• Dreher High School
  3319 Millwood Ave., Columbia, SC 29205

Saturday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

• W.A. Perry Middle School (Challenger Parking Lot)

  2600 Barhamville Rd., Columbia, SC 29204

• Eau Claire High School
  4800 Monticello Rd., Columbia, SC 29203

*Flu shots at Dent Middle School and Fairfield Middle School will be administered by SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) staff.

Consent forms are required and available at each site. Children under the age of 16 require a parent/guardian signature. Flu shots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

View/download flyer (PDF) »    en español (PDF) »

Flu shot facts 

• A flu vaccine cannot cause flu illness. The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. While a flu vaccine cannot give you flu illness, there are different side effects that may be associated with getting a flu shot. These could include: soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, fever (low grade), aches.
• Yearly flu vaccination is the best tool currently available to protect against the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend a yearly flu vaccination as the first and most important step in protecting against flu and its potentially serious complications. 
• Millions of people have safely received flu vaccines for decades. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors' visits and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. 
• A flu vaccination does not guarantee protection against the flu. Some people who get vaccinated might still get sick. However, people who get a flu vaccine are less likely to get sick with flu or hospitalized from flu than someone who does not get vaccinated.
• Flu vaccination also may make your illness milder if you do get sick.
• Getting vaccinated yourself also protects people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions.
• A flu vaccine is needed every year for two reasons. First, the body’s immune response from vaccination declines over time, so an annual vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Second, because flu viruses are constantly changing, the formulation of the flu vaccine is reviewed each year and sometimes updated to keep up with changing flu viruses. For the best protection, everyone six months and older should get vaccinated annually.
• It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection. That’s why it’s better to get vaccinated early in the fall, before the flu season really gets under way.
• Flu vaccines are offered in many locations, including doctor’s offices, health departments, pharmacies, urgent care clinics, schools and workplaces.