Fight the flu with free flu shots

Influenza (the flu) is a serious disease you can get from anyone infected. Healthy people can get it and adults and children with other chronic diseases, such as diabetes or asthma, are even more at risk. 

Palmetto Health is helping protect you and your family with free flu shots* during several Saturday mornings in October and November. Registered nurses at locations throughout the Richland, Lexington and Sumter communities will administer the vaccine. The flu shot is available for anyone six months and older. Insurance is not required. 

Schedule

• Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, 9 a.m.–noon
  • St. John’s Baptist Church
  • 3404 W. Beltline Blvd., Columbia
• Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, 9 a.m.–noon    
  • Grace Christian Church
  • 5010 Monticello Rd., Columbia
• Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, 9 a.m.-noon
  • Second Nazareth Baptist Church
  • 2300 Elmwood Ave., Columbia
• Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, 9 a.m.–noon
  • Columbia Church of Christ
  • 1049 Harbor Dr., West Columbia
• Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, 9 a.m.–noon
  • Bibleway Church of Atlas Rd.
  • 2440 Atlas Rd., Columbia
• Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, 9 a.m.–noon
  • Jehovah Missionary Baptist
  • 805 S. Harvin St., Sumter
• Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, 9 a.m.–noon
  • The Brook
  • 8328 Parklane Rd., Columbia

* Flu shots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Consent forms

• Flu Vaccine Consent Form-Over 16 (must be filled out prior to flu shot)
• Flu Vaccine Consent Form-Under 16 (must be filled out prior to flu shot by parent or legal guardian)

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.

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