Saturday brought me to the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center’s (EBNHC) free flu clinic, where I joined hundreds of residents from Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop and East Boston in a lengthy queue. Many of us, like my peers waiting in line, had found our primary care physicians’ supplies of the seasonal flu shot depleted, making Saturday’s clinic an invaluable resource for nearly two thousand area residents. Despite steady rainfall, the turnout remained strong as people waited to receive either the injection or nasal spray vaccine. The line progressed efficiently, and after checking in, completing a brief form, and receiving a red raffle ticket, I moved to one of several nurses for my vaccination. The needle caused mild discomfort—not unlike a Charlie Horse. By Monday, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center CEO Jack Cradock’s office was fielding calls from grateful residents thanking him and his team for the Saturday clinic’s success. One caller reported vaccinating her entire family of five in under 15 minutes. “Seasonal flu puts a major strain on the health care system every year and causes many days of missed school and lost work,” Cradock stated. “Our flu clinic gave the community the opportunity to prevent the flu, and in so doing, will keep East Boston and the surrounding area healthier this winter. We are grateful to our hardworking staff for vaccinating 1,700 individuals in five hours, it was an amazing effort. We are also grateful for the support of community leaders, including City Councilor Salvatore LaMattina and Boston Police Captain Robert Cunningham.” The accomplishment was impressive: EBNHC and its staff vaccinated 1,700 people in fewer than five hours. While East Boston residents comprised the majority at 920 or 56 percent, the clinic also served 204 from Revere, 196 from Chelsea, 83 from Winthrop, and 256 from other communities. Regarding age distribution, four were under one year old, 14 were 1-year-olds, 31 were 2-year-olds, 83 were 3 to 5-year-olds, 232 were 6 to 12-year-olds, 105 were 13 to 18-year-olds, 239 were 19 to 29-year-olds, 590 were 30 to 49-year-olds, 238 were 50 to 64-year-olds, and 96 were over 65. “The seasonal flu vaccine is highly effective and is a very important tool in illness prevention,” explained EBNHC President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. James O. Taylor. “By inoculating such a large number of area residents, we will be able to conserve health care resources, which could be challenged in the coming months in treating other illnesses, namely H1N1.” Dr. Taylor additionally praised his staff and community leaders who contributed to organizing the clinic. “We would have not been able to do it without them,” he added.
Seasonal flu is upon us, go get the shot
