San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) has released October dates and locations for flu clinics in both Archuleta and La Plata counties, with additional dates still to be added.
SJBPH is urging anyone over six months to get a flu shot.
Getting a flu shot this year is more important than ever: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the addition of another respiratory illness on top of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could overburden the health care system, strain testing capacity, and increase the risk of catching both diseases at once.
The cost of flu shots at SJBPH clinics is free to un- or under-insured or covered by insurance.
Upcoming flu clinics:
- Monday, Oct. 26, 1 – 4 pm – SJBPH Pagosa Springs Office, 502 8th Street, Pagosa Springs
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, 1 – 4 pm – Durango Public Library overflow parking lot (corner of E 3rd and 20th St.)
SJBPH will provide additional flu clinic dates and locations for populations who are particularly vulnerable to the flu, such as older adults, those without homes, and for Spanish-speaking community members. Visit SJBPH’s immunization page for updates at.
Flu cases start to increase in October and typically peak in late December or early January before dropping off in the spring. Since it takes two weeks for the vaccine to take effect, October is the ideal time to get your flu shot.
Each year, the flu vaccine contains three to four different strains of the disease that officials expect to be the ones most in circulation during the current season. Even when a flu vaccine is not an exact match to the strain that winds up being most common in a season, it prompts the body to produce an immune response that will limit the severity of a person’s sickness.
“SJBPH truly appreciates local community members taking effective public health precautions to control the spread of COVID-19,” said Liane Jollon, SJBPH Executive Director. “We are urging everyone to get their flu shot as an additional public health precaution to make sure that our local health system is not overburdened and to ensure that people don’t get sick with both flu and COVID-19 at the same time,” she said.
For the most up to date information, visit SJBPH’s website at: https://sjbpublichealth.org/coronavirus/