Riverside County

Riverside County Offering Free Flu Shots Next Week

The Oct. 8 clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Indio Senior Center.

What to Know

  • On Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to noon
  • Available at Indio Senior Center, located at 45700 Aladdin St.
  • Shots will be provided while supplies last.

Riverside County health officials will be offering free flu shots in Indio next week during a public health exercise aimed at training the responsiveness of health officials during a pandemic-level event.

The Oct. 8 clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Indio Senior Center, 45700 Aladdin St. Shots will be provided while supplies last.

In addition to the flu shots, the county will put its health officials to the test, with concerns mounting over what could be a difficult flu season. Last month marked the first Riverside County flu-related death of the 2019-20 season: a 4-year-old Perris boy who tested positive for influenza and died from underlying health issues.

There were nine influenza-associated deaths in Riverside County in the 2018-19 season and 23 during the 2017-18 season.

"If a public health emergency strikes, we need to be ready and vaccinations are one of the ways we can stop a future disaster in its tracks," said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the county's public health officer. "Drills like this help us test our system and you can get a free flu shot as part of it."

County health officials recommend the flu vaccine for everyone over the age of 6 months.

Additionally, staying home when ill, frequent hand washing, and sneezing or coughing into an elbow and not a hand are recommended to avoid catching influenza.

More information about the flu clinic can be found by calling the Riverside University Health System--Public Health at 951-358-7125 or visiting www.rivcoimm.org.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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