Nantucket Cottage Hospital will host a public flu shot clinic on Saturday, Nov. 7^th for island residents who have not yet received this year’s influenza vaccine from their primary care physician.

The flu clinic will be held in Room 105 at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, located on the first floor of the main building, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This clinic is intended for patients 18 and older who are unable to visit their primary care physician or island pharmacist, as well as those who do not have a local doctor. Families with teenagers and children under 18 years of age are encouraged to schedule an appointment with their primary care physician’s office to get vaccinated.

The vaccine will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis until the hospital’s current supply is exhausted.

Key facts about the seasonal flu vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control:

• Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine.
• The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season.
• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season. This recommendation has been in place since February 24, 2010 when CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)voted for “universal” flu vaccination in the United States to expand protection against the flu to more people.
• Influenza vaccine effectiveness can vary from year to year and among different age and risk groups.
• Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death.

Please contact Jason Graziadei, public information officer, at 508-825-8246 for additional information.