Baltimore's Free Flu Shot Clinic Continues On Tuesday
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- To avoid what doctors are calling a possible "twin-demic", the Baltimore City Health Department is teaming up with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield for a free pop-up flu shot clinic.
Anyone can drop by Fort Worthington Elementary on Monday or Furman Templeton Prep on Tuesday. People do not need an appointment or insurance.
It's part of the city's effort to vaccinate 70% of Baltimore by the end of this flu season.
For Abel Guy and his wife Cecilia, getting their flu shots at Fort Worthington was quick, easy and practically painless.
"There's no stress, there's no worries; it's a routine thing that you should do," Guy said.
So far, only 19% of Baltimoreans have gotten a flu shot this season, Destiny-Simone Ramjohn from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield said. That's one reason the city and CareFirst teamed up for the clinics.
They've since been working to get the word out about the event.
"We've been doing canvassing throughout the community, door-to-door in corner shops, we have the billboard, the mobile billboard," Nolan O'Dowd from the city's health department said.
Visitors can walk in or drive through for a shot. Uber rides are also available for people to get to the sites.
The flu shot is more important than ever this year due to COVID-19, officials said.
"This is perhaps the most important season for us to act," O'Dowd said, "... during the pandemic, we know that people are staying home, but we do need them to come out, get the flu shot so that we can endure."
The clinic continues on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
