Hundreds of Clark County residents are now protected against the flu, thanks to a free flu shot clinic offered by Legacy Health.
Legacy Health offered the vaccines Tuesday at each of its five hospital campuses in the Portland-Vancouver area. More than 100 people were waiting in line when the event at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center began at 3 p.m. People began lining up an hour early to take advantage of the free vaccines, said hospital spokesman Brian Willoughby.
“This is what we hoped for, that people in the community who needed flu shots would have a place to get them,” he said.
At the four-hour clinic at the Salmon Creek hospital, staff administered 415 flu vaccinations and 85 Tdap shots for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Earlier in the day, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland vaccinated about 350 people and Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center in Tualatin, Ore., vaccinated about 370 people.
The flu shots were available for anyone 6 months and older. The hospital offered flu shot injections and a limited number of the nasal mist version of the vaccine.
David Minch of Battle Ground brought his wife, three sons and father-in-law to the clinic for their annual flu shots.
“It’s important to have,” Minch said. “And it’s free, so that’s a good thing.”
Minch and his family get vaccinated every year, he said, to protect themselves and prevent the spread of the flu.
“People aren’t taking it and the flu’s coming out more and more,” Minch said.
Cameron Hines of Vancouver got his free flu shot at the clinic after learning two weeks ago that his doctor’s office had run out of the vaccines.
Hines said he gets a shot every year because it reduces his risk of getting sick. And, if he does get the virus, the symptoms will be less severe than if he was unvaccinated.
“One or two days of the flu or a week’s worth,” Hines said. “Take your pick.”
Thirteen-year-old Shelby Kocin of Vancouver wasn’t too excited to spend her day off from school getting a flu shot, but she and her mom, Shannon Kocin, were among the 172 people vaccinated in the first hour of the event Tuesday afternoon.
Shannon Kocin is exposed to ill patients in her job as an athletic trainer, and her kids are exposed to germs at school.
“We don’t want to get each other sick,” she said. “We want to reduce that risk as much as possible.”
That’s exactly what health officials want to hear.
“To see this many people turn out is just wonderful,” said Jen Leger, a registered nurse who works in infection prevention and control at the hospital. “We want to prevent influenza in our community.”
