St. John's Partners in community effort to fight flu
Oct. 22, 2004

Partners in Greene County have pulled together to provide flu vaccinations to those in the community who are most at high-risk. Since news of the vaccine shortage broke earlier this month, partners across southwest Missouri have pulled together in the interest of public health to provide flu vaccinations to the high-risk individuals who need them most.
Southwest Missouri State University is collaborating with the Springfield-Greene-County Health Department and its partners to provide flu vaccinations for up to 2,000 high-risk individuals on Oct. 30.

High-risk individuals are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as follows:

 - Adults aged 65 and older

- People 2-64 years old with underlying chronic medical conditions

- Women who will be pregnant during the flu season

- Children 6 months to 18 years old on chronic aspirin therapy

- Healthcare workers involved in direct patient care, and

- Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children less than six months old.

Vaccinations will be given to these individuals at no charge beginning at 7 a.m. Oct. 30 at Hammons Student Center on the SMSU campus. The flu clinic is a collaborative effort by SMSU, St. John’s Health System, CoxHealth, Doctors Hospital, Greene County Medical Society, Greater Ozarks Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department and a host of volunteers.

For more information, call the Influenza Hotline at 864-1166 or the Springfield-Greene County Health Department at (417) 864-1658.