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DHSS Press Release

Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: jill.fredel@delaware.gov

DPH Media Contact:
Jennifer Brestel
302-744-4907, Cell 302-612-6223
Email: Jennifer.brestel@delaware.gov

Date: October 04, 2019
DHSS-10-2019

MEDIA ADVISORY: DPH HOLDING FREE DRIVE-THRU FLU CLINIC IN DOVER, TUESDAY OCT. 8, 2019

WHO:	The Honorable John Carney, Governor The Honorable Bethany Hall-Long, Lieutenant Governor Dr. Karyl Rattay, Director, Division of Public Health (DPH) Nicole Majeski, Deputy Secretary, Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Division of Public Health (DPH) staff Bayhealth nursing staff Delaware Medical Reserve Corps Members of the public
WHAT:	DPH Drive-thru flu clinic for Delawareans ages 9 and up. Nurses from DPH, Bayhealth and the Delaware Medical Reserve Corps will administer free flu shots to drivers and passengers. Any size vehicle and any number of people in one vehicle are welcome. A pedestrian lane is available to accept walk-ups. American Sign Language interpreters and staff speaking Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole will be on site. Attendees should wear short sleeves or loose-fitting clothing for access to the upper arm. People who are ill on the clinic day, especially with a fever, or whose health care provider advised them not to receive a flu vaccination, should not participate in this flu clinic. Pets other than service animals should be left at home. Governor John Carney and Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long will receive flu shots from their vehicles between 11:00 a.m. and noon. There will be no formal press conference. DPH is also operating this flu clinic as a preparedness exercise, so DPH staff can practice their readiness and capacity to mass vaccinate the public in the event of a large-scale health emergency. Staff will follow the Incident Command System structure and wear identification vests.
WHEN:	Tuesday, October 8, 2019, rain or shine Media opportunity from 11:00 a.m. to noon Flu clinic will run from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or until vaccines run out
WHERE:	DelDOT Administration Building - front parking lot 800 S. Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901 In case of rain, there will be large tents covering the drive-thru area.
WHY:	Influenza is unpredictable and can be deadly. Annual flu shots protect individuals and their families, friends, and co-workers from serious illness due to influenza. During the 2018-2019 flu season, Delaware recorded 6,387 laboratory-confirmed flu cases. Over 1,000 Delawareans were hospitalized due to the flu and 24 people died from flu complications. DPH urges all Delawareans, including those with access and functional needs, to get their flu shots early, preferably by the end of October. Flu vaccines are available from most health care providers, pharmacies and some grocery stores. DPH has scheduled numerous flu clinics statewide. View the flu clinic schedule at flu.delaware.gov or call DPH at 1-800-282-8672. To find flu clinics in your ZIP code, visit www.flu.gov.
PHOTOS:	Dignitaries getting their flu shots; Delawareans lined up in their vehicles for intramuscular flu vaccine administered by DPH, Bayhealth and Delaware Medical Reserve Corps nurses; and close-ups of flu vaccine. As this event provides medical services, faces of members of the public receiving flu shots may only be photographed/videotaped by first getting the person's verbal consent - this includes crowd shots. Additionally, close up photos/video that show information a person has written down on the registration form may not be photographed. All nursing staff have signed media consent forms for having their photos taken.
INSTRUCTIONS:	Individuals receiving a flu shot will complete the Influenza Vaccination. Administration Record (VAR) form. Greeters will have VAR forms on hand.
QUESTIONS:	Call 302-744-4704

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person's spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com

DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

MEDIA ADVISORY: DPH HOLDING FREE DRIVE-THRU FLU CLINIC IN DOVER, TUESDAY OCT. 8, 2019

Delaware's Government