New Canaan will host a seasonal Flu Vaccine Clinic at the town's high school on the first Sunday in October, and residents are encouraged to attend to get their flu shots and play a much more important role in safety preparation.
Last year, Bethany Zaro, Public Health Nurse for the Town, said New Canaan administered more than 700 vaccines to residents in and around the town. She said the annual clinic serves a much more important purpose than simply preparing people for flu season.
"It certainly does provide protection for our community for the coming flu season," Zaro said. "But it allows us to perform in a mass-dispensing program setting, and every year we are able to practice our emergency response should we ever have to vaccinate citizens on a massive scale."
Aside from just warding off the sniffles, Zaro said maybe more importantly, volunteers and town staff are able to keep up to date with performing best practices for large scale medical distribution.
"It keeps everyone up to date, puts into residents' minds where they should be going in case of an emergency," she said. "It relieves a lot of panic and keeps everyone organized."
The clinic will be held this year on Sunday, October 6, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the New Canaan High School. The vaccine is preservative-free and will go to residents 9 years old and up. Hi Dose Fluzone is available for those 65 and older. The vaccinations cost $30 and residents can pay with cash, check, debit, MasterCard and Visa. Medicare will be billed the allowable rate. Residents can print forms off the town's website beforehand for speedier processing.
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