Inside WCPH’s multifaceted flu vaccination efforts

WASHINGTON — In 2023, Washington County Public Health department nurses provided 368 flu shots. Recipients included other county employees, schoolteachers, private businesses, clinic visitors and even occasional run-ins on the street.

The annual effort to immunize community members takes many forms around this time of year. All are important for locals’ well-being, according to Washington County Public Health Nurse Shelby Hill.

“This is just offering another way for people to get their flu vaccine,” she said. “Research shows that is the number one way in preventing and helping to lessen your symptoms if you were to get the flu … we recognize people are getting them other places, but if we can help with that effort to prevent any further complications from the flu, I think that’s our goal.”

The department offers regular clinics, where some kids qualify for free vaccination. Those that don’t, and adults, are always welcome to attend clinics for their own shots, with a $35 private pay option that insurance can reimburse patients for after the fact.

Public health nurses also make trips to businesses that schedule a flu shot clinic for their employees, and offer the same for some government employers like schools, and the county sheriff’s department.

  Buy Photo

Some flu shot efforts are even less structured than that. The county holds an annual “flu stomp” in which public health staff go door-to-door around the square, offering the $35 vaccine to employees at each business in their path, and sometimes even pedestrians who inquire as they pass by. On Sept. 19, nurses will set up a station at the Washington Farmers Market to do the same.

“Bringing it to them does kind of eliminate that barrier, of time, of transportation, of taking time off work,” Hill said. “People can more easily participate, because it’s there.”

While it’s still possible to get the flu despite getting a shot for it, experts say vaccination makes infection less likely, and drastically lowers symptom severity among those who do get sick.

Beyond even the public health implications of preventing disease, WCPH staff said they hoped to help keep people stay engaged with their community.

“We’re also preventing people from missing work or missing school,” Hill said. “Protecting yourself with the vaccine is giving yourself the ability to do those things and not miss out. It’s hard to give a quantitative value to that … but I think the big picture is, hopefully it helps preventing the person who’s getting it from getting sick, from spreading it to others, and in turn keeping people healthy so we can do the things we need to do.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com