Published on October 06, 2020
Turnout Positive for OH Drive-Thru Flu Clinic
By Don Wilkins, Messenger-Inquirer
Carla Newton gets a flu shot from Owensboro Health’s Deidre Ledbetter, pharmacy resident, during a drive-thru flu shot clinic on Thursday in front of the Owensboro Convention Center. The event was open to the public and no appointments were needed to get the flu shot.
There was little downtime for the Owensboro Health pharmacists who were administering flu shots Thursday at the drive-thru clinic set up outside the Owensboro Convention Center.
Two OH pharmacy teams — the first shift from 9 a.m. to noon and the second shift from noon to 3 p.m. — manned the clinic along with help from OH’s marketing staff.
Lisa Young, an OH pharmacist, said they were prepared for 200 doses with about 70 distributed before lunchtime.
“I honestly believe we’ve had more interest this year than in the past,” said Young about flu shots in general. “We’ve already done more in the outpatient pharmacy this year than we did at this time last year.”
The higher flu shot interest is being attributed to COVID-19 and the attention it has brought to viruses.
Although a vaccine is still being developed for COVID-19, health officials highly recommend being vaccinated for the flu to prevent its spread. The seasonal flu usually starts to rise in October and peaks between December and February.
According to the CDC, anyone 6 months and older should be vaccinated with a flu shot.
Deidre Ledbetter, a 24-year-old OH pharmacy resident, said she was required to take a flu shot while in pharmacy school, but she had taken one for years even before then.
However, Ledbetter said it’s common for people to think they don’t need a flu shot or that they should wait until they’re much older before they’re vaccinated.
“People just don’t know that you’re supposed to,” Ledbetter said. “I think this year has definitely raised awareness for viral illnesses.”
By 12:30 p.m., the traffic was steadily flowing through the outdoor clinic.
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.
On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.