Vanderbilt University and Medical Center faculty, staff, students and volunteers will once again have the opportunity to be part of a mass flu vaccination plan that last year more than doubled the current world record for the total number of vaccinations given in an eight-hour period.
Flulapalooza 2 will be held Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Thursday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in a large tent erected between Light Hall and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital. The free shots are available for all Medical Center faculty, staff, students and volunteers. Family members will not be included in this event.
“We initially planned Flulapalooza as a one-time event, but the response was overwhelming,” said Melanie Swift, M.D., director of the Occupational Health Clinic. “This is the way people want to get their flu shots each year — easy, efficient and enjoyable. So, Flulapalooza is back by popular demand.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone older than 6 months be vaccinated to protect themselves and their close contacts from the flu. Flu vaccine was available for Vanderbilt patients starting Sept. 10.
Swift suggests for maximum efficiency during the event please wear short sleeves and present your Vanderbilt ID badge. Supervisors should stagger staff participation.
Also, beginning Oct. 8, the Occupational Health Clinic will offer flu shots at a variety of locations and times.
To see a schedule, visit the OHC website (http://healthandwellness.vanderbilt.edu/occupational-health/).
Swift said one new aspect this year is that faculty and staff who receive flu vaccine outside the OHC program can now electronically self-report their vaccination on the OHC website. If you were vaccinated in your provider’s office, at the VA or at a pharmacy, report your vaccine to be counted in your department’s vaccination rate.