Health department will provide free flu shots in mass vaccination drill

The Public Health Preparedness team and volunteers of Cherokee County Health Department (CCHD) will have a mass vaccination drill from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 24 at Nichols Intermediate School in Jacksonville. There is not an epidemic currently in Cherokee County: this is only a drill. The drill will consist of a drive through vaccine clinic.

CCHD will give away free influenza vaccines to anyone who has not already received a flu shot. Vaccines are available for persons aged four years to adults until supplies are depleted. Only a consent form is required; a nurse will give the vaccine while you sit in your car. In the event of bad weather, the drill will be moved inside the school. It takes about two weeks for complete efficacy, or effectiveness, to be reached. Even if you are exposed before complete efficacy, you can lessen the severity of the flu.

A pandemic is a world wide epidemic. Every year in the United States and throughout the world influenza viruses cause epidemics. However, because many people have some immunity, yearly epidemics don't infect everyone. The strains of influenza virus that cause pandemic are different than those that cause epidemic. More information is available on the web site for the CCHD at www.cchdtexas. org or call (903) 683-6142.