10/3/2012
Due to the widespread availability of flu vaccines from various vendors around the region, South Georgia Medical Center has decided to forgo its annual Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinic this year. SGMC encourages those individuals who used our services in year’s past to continue to get a flu shot at any one of several community locations.
“With the Lowndes County Health Department and outside vendors, such as pharmacies and big-box stores, offering low-cost, convenient flu-shots, the need for SGMC to offer flu shots has decreased.” said Marie Sims, Community Health Promotions Coordinator. “We feel it is a better use of our resources to pursue other programs of community benefit, such as our cancer screenings and wellness fairs.
”According to the website www.FamiliesFightingFlu.org, the flu kills more Americans every year than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined. The vaccine needs to be given every year because flu viruses are constantly changing. The components of flu vaccines change from one season to the next to protect against the most recent and most commonly circulating viruses. In addition, a person’s immune protection from the vaccine declines over time; therefore, annual vaccination is needed for optimal protection.
SGMC’s Clinical Laboratory already has confirmed several cases of flu this season in patients who were hospitalized. For more information, contact Community Relations at 229-259-4421 or visit www.sgmc.org