WS Chronicle

In an effort to make getting annual flu vaccinations more convenient, the Salisbury VA Medical Center is offering drive-thru flu clinics at the Salisbury VAMC and its Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Hickory.

The vaccinations are free for veterans and are being offered from 8 to 11 a.m. on Nov. 15 and Dec. 13. Any Veteran interested in receiving a vaccination doesn’t even have to get out of their vehicle, but must show a VA healthcare enrollment card at the time of vaccination.

The clinics will be offered at the entrance of Primary Care in Building on the Salisbury VAMC campus and at the front entrance of each CBOC.

Sabrina Adkins, chief nurse for Primary Care, said offering the drive thru flu clinics is just one more way the medical center can ensure Veterans receive care in the most convenient way possible.

“We know many people work during the week, and we just wanted to be able to provide another option for people to get their vaccination while making it convenient,” she said.

Adkins added, vaccinations are a good idea for anyone, six months and older, as a deterrent to catching the flu virus.

“Flu vaccinations are part of preventative health measures, and it’s very important that we provide these services for our Veterans. We all need to take our flu vaccine annually so we build up immunity to all types of flu,” she said.

The Salisbury VAMC provided more than 25,000 flu vaccinations for Veterans last year.