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. 

Available at Rockland Health Department to certain populations 6 months after 2nd dose

NEW CITY, NY, – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announce that a booster dose of the Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech (mRNA) vaccine is available to certain populations which received the Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that certain people should get a booster dose 6 months after their 2nd dose of Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech. A booster dose is currently only available to those who received two doses of the Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The Rockland County Department of Health (RCDOH) continues to offer COVID-19 vaccination clinics several times a week for those who need a first, second, or third dose and will now be offering booster doses of the Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to those who qualify beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, September 28, 2021, from 3:00 – 7:00 pm.

To make an appointment at the RCDOH visit, http://rcklnd.us/covid19. Appointments are strongly encouraged. You may walk into any clinic; no appointment is necessary, however, there may be a wait. If you have health insurance, please bring your benefit card with you. The vaccine is free; however, the health department can collect an administrative fee from insurance plans. All are welcome regardless of immigration status.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the following groups should receive a booster shot of Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series (i.e., the first 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine):

• people aged 65 years and older.
• residents aged 18 years and older in long-term care settings.
• people aged 50–64 years with the certain underlying medical conditions.

CDC also recommends that the following groups may receive a booster shot of Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks:

• people aged 18–49 years with the certain underlying medical conditions.
• people aged 18–64 years are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of an occupational or institutional setting. This includes education staff (teachers, support staff, daycare workers), correctional workers, homeless shelters, healthcare workers, firefighters, police, congregate care staff, food and agriculture workers, manufacturing workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, public transit workers, and grocery store workers.

These recommendations only apply to people who previously received a Pfizer-BioNTech primary series (i.e., the first 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine). Currently, a booster dose for those who received two doses of Moderna vaccine or a single-dose of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination is not yet approved. Moderna did apply for FDA emergency authorization for a booster shot and approval may soon be granted. You should bring your vaccination card with you. Staff will confirm your two-dose series with Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech was at least 6-months ago.

People can talk to their healthcare provider about whether getting a Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot is appropriate for them.

“In following guidance from CDC and NYSDOH, our Health Department staff is ready to help provide booster doses to certain vulnerable people who received their second dose Pfizer vaccine more than six months ago. We can provide these individuals with the extra protection needed against COVID-19. For those who have not yet gotten vaccinated, please get vaccinated now to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Getting vaccinated can protect yourself and those around you from hospitalization, complications, and even death,” said Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.

The COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot are the best way to keep from getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. In addition, continue following the CDC’s public health prevention measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19:

• wear a mask indoors
• stay 6 feet away from others not within your household
• wash your hands often
• stay home if you are sick

Visit the New York State Am I Eligible webpage or Vaccines.gov to find additional vaccination sites near you. You can also check your local pharmacy’s website to see if vaccination walk-ins or appointments are available. For questions, more information, or if you need assistance scheduling a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, call 845-238-1956 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Friday (except holidays).

For more information on a vaccine booster dose, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html