Get ahead of the flu! Get your flu shot before the start of influenza season!
NEW CITY, NY, – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announce that the Health Department has scheduled several flu (influenza virus) vaccine clinics for the 2021-2022 flu season. These clinics are for everyone 6 months and older, and will be held on Friday, October 1, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm and Friday, October 22, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm at the Robert Yeager Health Center, Building A, which is located at 50 Sanatorium Road in Pomona.
You can also receive your flu shot at any of our scheduled COVID-19 vaccine clinics. The flu vaccine may be taken at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine. In order to receive a flu vaccine, everyone must wear a mask. To make a flu vaccine appointment visit http://rcklnd.us/flu. Walk-ins are welcome and will be registered on-site, however, there may be a wait.
There is a $20 fee for those with private insurance who are 6 months through 64 years old: cash or check accepted. For those with private health insurance, we will provide you with a receipt to submit to your health insurance for possible reimbursement. To make the process quicker, please visit http://rcklnd.us/flu, fill out the top two fillable portions of the 2021-2022 FLU VACCINE FORM, and print and bring the completed form with you.
The vaccine is free of charge if you:
· are 65 years and older (please bring identification with proof of age)
· have Medicare or Medicaid (please bring your card)
· are uninsured or underinsured
The Health Department is giving the quadrivalent flu vaccine, which does not contain preservatives, including thimerosal. The vaccine is called quadrivalent because it offers protection against four different flu virus strains that research shows will be most common during this flu season: two influenza (flu) A virus strains and two influenza B virus strains. It is recommended that you wait for 15 minutes after being vaccinated, so you can be observed for any reaction.
“The flu is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes death. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. Getting the flu vaccine is the main way to prevent the flu and its complications. With the more contagious Delta variant circulating, preventing a severe flu season from arriving along with the COVID-19 pandemic is even more critical. It is important to continue to follow the CDC’s public health prevention measures, such as wearing a mask indoors, staying 6 feet away from others not within your household, washing your hands often, and staying home if sick. These measures will not only help to slow the spread of COVID-19 but also help to reduce flu infections, along with getting your flu shot,” said Dr. Ruppert.
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available each year before flu begins spreading in your community. It’s better to get vaccinated early in the fall before the flu season really gets underway since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu virus. The protection you get from the flu vaccine will last throughout the flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October.
For more information about the flu and the flu vaccine clinics visit http://rcklnd.us/flu or call 845-364-2534.