Baltimore-area residents can once again get a free flu shot without leaving their cars at at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center this morning from 8 a.m. to noon, or when supplies run out at CCBC Essex Campus, Rossville Boulevard and College Drive.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. Last year’s flu season was the longest in a decade, and the 2017-2018 flu season was particularly severe, with 80,000 deaths attributed to the illness. In total, the CDC estimates that up to 42.9 million people got sick during last year’s flu season, 647,000 people were hospitalized and 61,200 died.
Clinicians will be ready to administer the shots to those who don’t have a known allergy to the vaccine. At MedStar Franklin Square, anyone aged 6 months and up can receive the vaccine.
Those who are getting the vaccine should remember to wear short sleeves or clothing with easy access to the upper arm. More than 900 people received the flu vaccine at the MedStar Franklin Square and MedStar Harbor Hospital events last year.
