Boca Grande Health Clinic to offer drive-through flu and boosters
The Boca Grande Health Clinic will be conducting drive-thru COVID-19 booster and flu shot clinics beginning in October for our registered patients. Like past years, the shots will be offered outside at the Clinic Annex.
Please call the Clinic at (941) 964-2276 to register for a vaccine and/or flu shot time slot. If schedules fill completely, then requests will be put on a waitlist for the next clinic(s).
How the drive-thru clinics work:
• The COVID-19 “updated booster” or Bivalent booster clinic will take place on Thursday, October 27, 2022. The Clinic offers Moderna’s updated COVID-19 booster.
• The first drive-thru flu vaccine clinic will be on Thursday, November 3, 2022. The Clinic offers regular flu shots and high-dose flu shots for patients aged 65 and older.
• The Clinic plans to alternate each Thursday between flu shot clinics and COVID-19 booster clinics until all established patients who want them are taken care of.
Flu is a serious virus, especially for those aged 65 and older
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of people get flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year.
Following two years of mild activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, many health experts predict that the seasonal influenza virus will be back in full force this season. The CDC recommends annual flu vaccination in October/early November when flu season starts because it takes about two weeks for immunity to develop and gives good protection to the end of flu season in May.
A higher dose vaccine is automatically given to patients over 65 because their immune system needs more stimulation to create adequate antibodies. The Clinic also offers the regular strength flu vaccinations.
What to know about the updated booster shots
The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized the first updated COVID-19 booster shots, the first major upgrade to COVID-19 vaccines. The updated boosters were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants of COVID-19.
Because protection from COVID-19 fades slowly over time, U.S. health officials are urging everyone who is eligible to get their updated COVID-19 booster. A single dose of the updated Covid-19 booster is recommended at least two months after the initial vaccine series or your most recent booster.
On your way back to Boca Grande?
If you are returning to the Island for the season, the Clinic recommends that you get your vaccinations before you travel. Most local pharmacies and all national drug stores and quick clinics offer booster and flu shots.
Learn more about the flu vaccine:
• cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2022-2023.htm
Learn more about the updated COVID-19 booster:
• cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
• fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-pfizer-biontech-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-use
