Nearly 10 times the number of people have received flu vaccinations compared to last year, Santa Clara County health officials announced.
The county will continue providing free, no-appointment flu shots to the public at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose every Saturday through Dec. 12.
Since mid-September, more than 7,100 people have been vaccinated, a number almost 10 times greater than the total in 2019 at similar events.
“This high demand for flu shots shows that communities are responding to the call to get vaccinated for influenza to protect themselves and their family,” said Dr. Sara Cody, County of Santa Clara Health Officer. “Flu shots are a safe and effective way to protect yourself against severe flu. There has never been a more important time to get a flu shot.”
Every person aged 6 months and older needs the flu vaccine every year. This is especially true this year, with Covid-19 also circulating widely in Santa Clara County, and health officers around the Bay Area have appealed to the public to get flu shots.
No appointment or health insurance is needed. Attendees are not asked for identification documents, and everyone is welcome regardless of immigration status. Services are offered in many languages, including Vietnamese and Spanish.
Everyone three years and older can get a free flu shot at this location. Children younger than three years should get shots from their pediatrician.
Beyond the Saturday events, county pharmacies at Valley Health Center facilities have already given flu shots on weekdays to an additional 6,400 members of the public in the fall. Additionally, Valley Medical Center Employee Health vaccinates thousands of health care staff employed by the county, who, like other health care personnel, are generally required to get a flu shot each year.
Each winter, people sick with flu crowd hospitals and urgent care clinics, resources that may be strained due to Covid-19.For information, visit sccphd.org/flu.
