SALISBURY, Md. - For the 31st year, TidalHealth is offering preventative protection with a free drive-through flu shot clinic. Beginning at 8 a.m. this morning, cars lined the parking lot at the Purdue Stadium in Salisbury.
"The more people that get the shots, the less flu goes around. So it keeps everybody safe," said local David Buchanan.
The flu shot was free for anyone over the age of eight to receive. TidalHealth asks that children between the ages of eight and 17 bring a parent or guardian with them to sign consent. For people already in the TidalHealth system, signing in is easy at the clinic with just their name and date of birth. If the flu shot recipient isn’t already in the TidalHealth system, they will have to answer a few questions to get registered.
“This year is especially important for people to get their flu shot because last year was such a severe flu season, in part because less people were getting vaccinated,” said Kat Rodgers with TidalHealth. “It was actually the deadliest non-pandemic flu season for pediatrics last year. There were 600,000 hospitalizations, 26,000 deaths. We need people to get their flu shot and they need to get it every year.”
The free clinic will continue at the stadium until 6 p.m. tonight. Another clinic will be held on October 4th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the TidalHealth McCready Pavilion in Crisfield.