Time test starts Delaware flu vaccination efforts

State health officials are using the start of vaccination season as a dress rehearsal to test their response to a outbreak.

Hundreds of people got their flu vaccination at one of the Division of Public Health’s first public flu clinics of the year.  “I would say from the time they come in the door until out is probably five minutes or less,” says DPH’s Wayne Smith.  

The speed is important in an emergency siutation, and while there’s no real rush to get the vaccine now, there could be need in the future to get residents vaccinated quickly.  “To excercise our capability, God-forbid we have any type of emergency, that we can run a lot of people through a clinic and get them vaccinated in a short amount of time.”

There are a number of other public clinic scheduled through the coming weeks.  You can find details on all those clinics at the state’s flu-fighting website, flu.delaware.gov.  “The CDC recommends that everyone receive the flu shot, and ultimately this is just one more way for us to get the message out is to have a public flu clinic.”