Linda Shannon-Hills
The SBR Flu Vaccine Drive has been scheduled for Saturdays, Sept. 25 and Oct. 16, from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Desert Life Pharmacy has ordered vaccines for our community. An online registration has been set up by the Desert Life Pharmacy in 5-minute increments. Each person must register to receive the seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine.
For Saturday, Sept. 25, use calendly.com/desertlifepharmacy/sept-25th-flu-shots-saddlebrooke-ranch?month=2021-09.
For Saturday, Oct. 16, use calendly.com/desertlifepharmacy/flu-shots-october-16th-ranch?month=2021-10.
If you cannot make the registration link work for you, send an email to [email protected] to receive the link via email.
At the time of writing this article, we don’t know if a booster vaccine for COVID-19 will be required, but more details will come out if this status changes.
While seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round in the United States, flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter. The exact timing and duration of flu seasons can vary, but influenza activity often begins to increase in October. Most of the time, flu activity peaks between December and February, although activity can last as late as May. (1)
You should get a flu vaccine before flu viruses begin spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu. Make plans to get vaccinated early in fall before flu season begins. CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. However, getting vaccinated early (for example, in July or August) is likely to be associated with reduced protection against flu infection later in the flu season, particularly among older adults. (2)
If you don’t use a computer but would like to sign up for the flu vaccine, call Linda Shannon-Hills at 970-389-5131 for assistance.
Sources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: (1) cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm; and (2) cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm.