Borgess Lee to offer vaccinations

While the recent string of sunny, clear skies and perfect temperatures may have convinced some that the calendar has already jumped ahead to spring, the rest of fall and winter still lie ahead.

With the new season comes not only a turn in the weather, but also the annual advent of the dreaded influenza virus. The period when the virus is most active, known as “flu season,” typically begins in October, lasting through the next few months before peaking between January and March, according to data from the Center for Disease Control.

To help bolster the community’s immune systems, during this period, the staff with Borgess Lee Memorial Hospital are offering a quick and convenient way for visitors to get immunized to the disease this Saturday. From 9 a.m. until noon, the hospital will offer a special drive-through clinic, where visitors can get protection from the flu and pneumonia in a quick and timely fashion.

Like a drive-thru line at a fast food restaurant or coffee house, visitors simply drive up to the marked area in the hospital parking lot, said Val Bauer, director of staffing and community programs in an email statement.

“Those in the car are given paperwork to fill out while they wait to pull up where the nurses are set up,” Bauer said. “They can either stay in their cars, roll their sleeves up and put their arm out, or if they are more comfortable they can get out of their car and stand. Most people just drive thru with their coffee and stay in the car. We do ask that they stay in the vicinity of the parking lot for 15 minutes in the event they have a reaction.”

The hospital will offer three types of flu vaccinations: a standard shot, which costs $29; quadrivalent vaccine, which offers protection against four strains of the virus versus three in the regular version, for $38; and a Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, for people with weaker immune defenses 65 years or older, for $58.

The pneumonia vaccine is $90, and is recommended for residents 19 to 64 years old who smoke and have asthma. It’s also suggested for people 65 years or older.

At the moment, researchers with the CDC Influenza Division are in the process of collecting data on the strains of the ever-evolving virus that have infected Americans thus far. Laboratory studies of these strains help determine the effectiveness of the current vaccines, Bauer said.

While the season is not fully in swing yet, people are still encouraged to get vaccinated before it does.

“A less than ideal match may result in reduced vaccine effectiveness against the virus that is different from what is in the vaccine, but it can still provide some protection against flu illness,” Bauer said.

The flu and pneumonia shots are covered by Medicare Part B and most commercial insurance plans. Cash, check, MasterCard, Discover and VISA payments will be accepted by the hospital for the treatment.