FORT DETRICK, Md. – Getting a flu vaccine is essential for protecting yourself and your family from vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
Approximately 600 active-duty service members were able to maintain their readiness by receiving a flu shot as Barquist Army Health Clinic staff completed their flu rodeo campaign at Fort Detrick, Maryland.
The two-day mass vaccination exercise, which began Oct. 29, supported Fort Detrick’s goal of maintaining service member readiness.
“It was an immediate two-day readiness bump,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Evans, the commander of Barquist Army Health Clinic. “It was a very successful event,” he added.
An additional goal of the event was to test the clinic’s capabilities and processes in preparation for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine that is under development.
“We were able to stress our shooters and make sure we were able to get the personnel through as fast as we can because once [the] COVID [vaccine] does come we’re going to end up having to shoot approximately 10-15 times as many people as we did for this [event].
“We are ready for the COVID vaccine,” Evans added. “We were able to work out a couple of kinks and it [the exercise] will make it so the COVID vaccine will actually flow well once it arrives.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, multiple COVID-19 vaccines are under development and as of Oct. 13, four vaccines have begun large-scale (phase 3) clinical trials in the United States.
Flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter with flu activity often beginning to increase in October. The CDC cites that most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, although activity can last as late as May.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2020 15:06 |
| Story ID: | 382548 |
| Location: | FORT DETRICK, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Flu Campaign Tests Clinic’s Capabilities, by Michelle Gonzalez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
