Walpole flu vaccine clinics are upcoming for Walpole residents ages four years and older.
All state vaccine can only be used on ages 18 years and younger - so Rite Aid will be at the town’s clinic and will accept all insurance cards, except Tufts, to vaccinate all adults 19 years and older. Residents are asked to bring their insurance cards with them if they are 19 years or older.
A clinic will take place on October 25 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Town Hall. Attendees are asked to start in room 112 unless you they have a mobility concern; in which case, they are asked to go straight to the Senior Center. There is no preregistration for this clinic.
Flu can be very serious. Every year in Massachusetts, an average of 5,000 people are hospitalized due to complications from the flu, resulting in up to 800 deaths. The good news is that there are simple things one can do to protect oneself:
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue or your inner elbow, not your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand gel.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Get a seasonal flu shot. This is especially important if you are pregnant; have a chronic health condition like asthma, diabetes or heart disease; are immunosuppressed; are very overweight; or are 50 years of age or older.
For more information, call the Walpole Board of Health at (508-660-7321).
