Stay deployment ready: A reminder to Marines to receive immunizations

Photo By Cpl. Scott L. Tomaszycki | Maj. Gen. Jon M. Davis, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, takes the lead on preventative disease control with a flu shot and two other shots to keep him deployment ready. “I had my shots first because it’s leading from the front,” Davis said. “If I get the flu and go down, I can’t effectively lead the troops. The same goes for all Marines down to the lowest echelon of leadership. This is the right thing to do and this is how we’re going to prepare for flu season.” Between Sept. 26 and Sept. 30, 2nd MAW is carrying out a vaccination initiative to achieve a high level of flu season readiness.  

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NC, UNITED STATES

09.23.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Scott L. Tomaszycki 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Beginning with the immunization of Maj. Gen. Jon M. Davis, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general, 2nd MAW and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point are preparing for the upcoming flu season. Active-duty Marines and Sailors are mandated to receive the influenza immunization by Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Instruction 6230.15A.

In accordance with the mandate Cherry Point and its tenant units began unit immunizations Friday.

2nd MAW units, such as Marine Aircraft Group 14, Marine Wing Support Group 27, Marine Air Control Group 28 and Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, reported to the Marine Dome for their immunizations this week. Marines requiring other immunizations for individual readiness also received those at the same time.

The plan for station personnel is to conduct immunizations at their workstations. Station personnel are scheduled to be done with immunizations by the end of October.

Corpsmen from the Naval Health Clinic will set up shop next to station units, allowing for Marines and Sailors to walk from work to the station and then straight back to work again. The flu immunization is about keeping Marines in the fight no matter the season explained Davis.

“I start my day every day by looking at the readiness reports of the aircraft,” Davis said. “But without the readiness of our people, the readiness of the aircraft won’t happen. If they’re sick, they’re not here training or maintaining. We need all of our people here to be able to accomplish our mission.”

Using preventative medicine is a more effective method to achieve this mission, explained Navy Cmdr. Raymond R. Batz, the wing surgeon for 2nd MAW.

“It’s easier to prevent something than to treat it,” said Batz. “It saves man-hours, it saves money, and it’s the right thing to do. The more protection we have against the fl u, the better we are prepared when that comes to pass.”

• Date Taken: 09.23.2011
• Date Posted: 09.30.2011 11:04
• Story ID: 77831
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NC, US