PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — On Saturday, more than a dozen individuals in Aroostook County received flu shots in likely one of the most convenient ways possible: by driving inside The Aroostook Medical Center’s Crown Ambulance bay.
Participants received their shot and drive away in less than five minutes.
TAMC Registered Nurse Jessica Lahey administers a flu shot to a patient during the Presque Isle hospital’s drive-up adult flu shot clinic on Saturday, Feb. 17. TAMC held the late season clinic because of the intensity of influenza cases across the country.
(Staff Photo/Melissa Lizotte)
TAMC typically holds drive-up adult flu shot clinics every October at the start of flu season, which lasts until May. But because of the increase in cases and severity of the H3N2 strain, also known as the influenza A virus, across the country, the hospital wanted to give community members another opportunity to receive the vaccine.
“It takes two weeks for the flu to take effect, so it’s still not too late to get the vaccine,” said Linda Foley, TAMC manager of infection prevention and policy management. “The shot we’re giving protects against influenza A and B. Influenza A is always a difficult strain to get full protection from, but even then the vaccine still prevents one out of three hospitalizations.”
Even though TAMC has not seen a large amount of influenza cases and no hospitalizations for the illness, Foley encourages people to take precautions by getting the vaccine, which can decrease the severity of symptoms; washing their hands regularly; covering their mouth when coughing or sneezing; and staying home when they become sick.
TAMC Registered Nurse Adam Huston administers a flu shot to a patient during the Presque Isle hospital’s drive-up flu shot clinic on Saturday, Feb. 17. More than a dozen individuals who had not received a shot last fall opted to receive one late in the season due to the high number of cases of influenza across the country and in the state of Maine.
(Staff Photo/Melissa Lizotte)
According to the latest CDC report cited in the Bangor Daily News, the flu has caused 34 deaths, 667 hospitalizations and outbreaks in 77 schools, nursing homes and other institutions in Maine. In Aroostook County the flu has been less severe, although the Maine School of Science and Mathematics recently emptied one of its dorm buildings due to an outbreak among students there.
Drivers had little to no wait time to receive their shot during the two-hour clinic.
Perham resident Blyn Tilley said that he drove to TAMC’s flu shot clinic on Saturday partly because of the recent news he has heard about the worsening flu season throughout the country.
“The news has made people so scared of getting the flu, so I thought that maybe I should take precautions,” Tilley said. “I was more willing to come here today than to sit in a hospital waiting room.”
Debbie Wolverton of Easton attended the flu shot clinic to protect herself as well as those around her.
“I have grandchildren, so if one of them gets sick I’ll be taking care of them and I want to make sure they wouldn’t get more sick,” Wolverton said. “I like that I can just drive up, get the shot and be on my way.”
