MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center's Annual Free Drive-Thru FLU SHOT Clinic is SUNDAY

MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center Offers Free Flu Vaccination at Annual Drive-Thru Clinic

Baltimore—(November 1, 2016)— Vehicles will begin lining up before the 8 am start of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center’s 10^th Annual Drive-Thru Flu Vaccination Clinic Sunday, at the Community College of Baltimore – Essex campus, to receive flu shots through their car windows.  More than 30 volunteer hospital nurses and physicians will be on hand to administer the vaccines to attendees six months and older who have no known allergies to eggs or other ingredients in the vaccine.

The nasal spray flu vaccine (live attenuated influenza vaccine or LAIV) should not be used this season and has not been distributed.

Since 2007, MedStar Franklin Square has worked closely with county agencies such as the Baltimore County Health and Human Services, Police, Fire and Public Works departments, and the Community College of Baltimore County to host the clinic and arm the community with protection against the flu. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the clinic, designed to be a free and convenient way for members of the community to vaccinate the entire family in one stop, without getting out of the car.

WHAT:                 10^th Annual FREE Drive-Thru Flu Vaccination Clinic

WHEN:                 Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016
                               8 a.m. to Noon (or until supplies run out)

WHERE:               Community College of Baltimore – Essex campus, Rossville Boulevard and College Drive

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 200,000 Americans are hospitalized each year because of flu complications. The number of people who die each year from flu-related causes in the United States ranges from 3,000 to 49,000.

To protect against the flu, the CDC recommends annual vaccination for those six months and older, as well as those at higher risk of developing flu complications, including children under five; adults over 65; pregnant women; residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities; those with weakened immune systems; and people with chronic illnesses such as asthma, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.