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Drive-through flu shots available in upcoming Lynchburg clinic
By Cynthia Pegram
Published: October 16, 2008
An upcoming influenza vaccine clinic in Lynchburg will provide a shot in the arm for emergency planning and a boost to community immunity.
The Central Virginia Health District will provide 300 free doses of flu vaccine for adults in its first-ever, drive-through inoculation clinic at River Ridge mall next week.
The double-duty event is a small-scale but real-life run-through of a system that could be needed in a major emergency requiring thousands of people to get a vaccine as quickly as possible.
Possible triggers would be in response to terrorist acts or an outbreak of infectious disease, said John Larkin, emergency planner for the Central Virginia Health District.
?One of the responsibilities of the health department and the Health District is to provide prophylaxis (preventative treatment) to the public in event of a public health emergency,? said John Larkin.
While large-scale drills have been done in the past, Larkin said, this event is the first drive-through, in which people remain in their cars to get the shot.
Larkin said the Health Department would set up a driving course marked with traffic cones on the Sears side of the mall parking lot.
The process will begin with drivers filling out some information. A medical review point will check to see if the person has any medical problem that makes getting the vaccine risky.
The course will lead the driver into a large tent, where a nurse will review the medical information. The shot will be given while the driver remains in the car.
While giving the vaccine in the unusual setting requires the same basic medical technique ? ?swabbing the arm and doing the jab? ? it is different, said Dr. Kerry Gateley, district health director, in that the patient is in the car.
One of the benefits of testing the system is to find out what works best in giving a shot when the patient?s arm is out the window of a car.
?The main value of this experience,? said Gateley, ?Is how do you manage this ? a bunch of people in a line of cars, informing your potential patients, getting consent, signing the appropriate forms, how to make sure there are no medical contradictions to the shot itself??
?I think I have a pretty experienced crew ? but it?s good for everybody to have the experience of administering the vaccine in this way, in this setting,? said Gateley.
The cost of the vaccine is underwritten by a grant, and Gateley said that he was pleased that the Health Department is able to perform a useful service to the community ?while gaining these other types of experiences.?
After the clinic is completed, the Health District will evaluate the event. An analysis and suggestions will be sent in to the Virginia Department of Health. Gateley said he would make the report public.
Should this process be needed in the future, even if it involves 10,000 people and not 300, ?we will have experience in this method,? said Gateley.
The drive-through clinic will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 22 on the Sears side of the River Ridge parking lot, or until the 300 doses are used. There are no appointments ? first come, first served. All are asked to wear a top with loose sleeves that can be easily rolled up for a shot.
Drive-through flu shots available in upcoming Lynchburg clinic
By Cynthia Pegram
Published: October 16, 2008
An upcoming influenza vaccine clinic in Lynchburg will provide a shot in the arm for emergency planning and a boost to community immunity.
The Central Virginia Health District will provide 300 free doses of flu vaccine for adults in its first-ever, drive-through inoculation clinic at River Ridge mall next week.
The double-duty event is a small-scale but real-life run-through of a system that could be needed in a major emergency requiring thousands of people to get a vaccine as quickly as possible.
Possible triggers would be in response to terrorist acts or an outbreak of infectious disease, said John Larkin, emergency planner for the Central Virginia Health District.
?One of the responsibilities of the health department and the Health District is to provide prophylaxis (preventative treatment) to the public in event of a public health emergency,? said John Larkin.
While large-scale drills have been done in the past, Larkin said, this event is the first drive-through, in which people remain in their cars to get the shot.
Larkin said the Health Department would set up a driving course marked with traffic cones on the Sears side of the mall parking lot.
The process will begin with drivers filling out some information. A medical review point will check to see if the person has any medical problem that makes getting the vaccine risky.
The course will lead the driver into a large tent, where a nurse will review the medical information. The shot will be given while the driver remains in the car.
While giving the vaccine in the unusual setting requires the same basic medical technique ? ?swabbing the arm and doing the jab? ? it is different, said Dr. Kerry Gateley, district health director, in that the patient is in the car.
One of the benefits of testing the system is to find out what works best in giving a shot when the patient?s arm is out the window of a car.
?The main value of this experience,? said Gateley, ?Is how do you manage this ? a bunch of people in a line of cars, informing your potential patients, getting consent, signing the appropriate forms, how to make sure there are no medical contradictions to the shot itself??
?I think I have a pretty experienced crew ? but it?s good for everybody to have the experience of administering the vaccine in this way, in this setting,? said Gateley.
The cost of the vaccine is underwritten by a grant, and Gateley said that he was pleased that the Health Department is able to perform a useful service to the community ?while gaining these other types of experiences.?
After the clinic is completed, the Health District will evaluate the event. An analysis and suggestions will be sent in to the Virginia Department of Health. Gateley said he would make the report public.
Should this process be needed in the future, even if it involves 10,000 people and not 300, ?we will have experience in this method,? said Gateley.
The drive-through clinic will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 22 on the Sears side of the River Ridge parking lot, or until the 300 doses are used. There are no appointments ? first come, first served. All are asked to wear a top with loose sleeves that can be easily rolled up for a shot.