Sacramento County to offer free flu shots. Why it’s a practice run for a COVID-19 vaccine

Sacramento County will offer 1,000 free flu shots in the parking lot of Sleep Train Arena in Natomas on Saturday, part of a major push by health officials to reduce the number of people who get the flu this season.

Health officials locally and nationally say the stakes are higher this winter for public health than in many years past.

Doctors and public health officials nationwide are urging everyone to get a flu shot this year to prevent a tidal wave of both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza cases from overwhelming medical facilities over the fall and winter.

Sacramento County health chief Dr. Peter Beilenson said the event also serves as practice for the county to conduct COVID-19 vaccine events. Beilenson said the county expects to obtain a certain number of vaccines next year that it can provide to people who do not have access to the vaccine via their own healthcare providers or other sources.

The flu shots on Saturday will be offered to Sacramento County residents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the arena parking lot, accessed via the East Commerce Way entrance on the west side of the facility. Shots are available to people who are 6 months of age or older and who do not have a medical condition that could be affected by the vaccine.

“The more people in our community who are vaccinated for the flu, the fewer who will be hospitalized or sadly die from this preventable illness,” said Sacramento County Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye. “This year, it is more important than ever to get the flu vaccination to reduce your risk from flu but also to help conserve potentially scarce health care resources with COVID-19 continuing to spread in our community.”

It’s especially important, officials said, for those who are at higher risk for severe complications of the flu. That includes children younger than age 5, people age 65 or older, women who are pregnant and people with underlying medical conditions.

Rachel Allen, a public health nurse who manages the immunization program for Sacramento County, said the county already has vaccinated more than 2,500 residents this year. The county has eight flu vaccination clinics planned in November in total.

This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 8:14 AM.