Central and Southern Illinois-(Effingham Radio)- If there’s one thing you can count on from year to year, it’s another flu season. No one wants to get the flu and you might not have to. Getting a flu vaccine each fall can nearly cut your risk in half.
HSHS Medical Group is now offering the flu vaccine for anyone six months and older at their HSHS Drive-Thru Care locations in Decatur, Springfield and O’Fallon.
Please note that the drive-thru sites will only have regular dose flu vaccines. For those needing a high dose vaccine, they will need to coordinate that with their primary care office. The drive-thru locations are also not able to provide flu vaccines for children enrolled in the Illinois Medicaid Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. Patients who are enrolled with this program will need to coordinate with their primary care office or the local health department.
How to make a drive-thru vaccine appointment through MyHSHS
It is free and easy to create a MyHSHS account and schedule an appointment online:
- Go to www.myhshs.org.
- Login or create a MyHSHS account by clicking “Sign Up Now.”
- Under Menu, click “COVID-19/Influenza Vaccine Scheduling.”
- Click “COVID-19 /Flu Vaccination” and answer questions on eligibility to schedule a flu vaccine, COVID vaccine or both.
- You will be able to choose from available appointments at our Springfield, Decatur and O’Fallon drive-thru locations.
Additionally, appointments for flu vaccines are now available to established patients at HSHS Medical Group primary care clinics in central and southern Illinois. Call your HSHS Medical Group primary care office or use MyHSHS to schedule an appointment.
Who Should Get a Flu Vaccine
Everyone 6 months and older needs a yearly flu vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. Getting vaccinated is even more important if you or someone you live with is at higher risk for complications from the flu.
This group includes older adults; pregnant women; young children; and people with chronic health problems, such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease or cancer.
People in high-risk groups are more vulnerable to flu complications. They may become very sick if they get the flu. Some may have to go to a hospital.
But remember: Almost everyone should get a new flu vaccine every year. Even healthy people can get sick and pass it on. And past vaccines won’t protect you because flu viruses always change.
It takes two weeks to build immunity to the flu virus. So try to get vaccinated by the end of October. That way your body will be ready to fight the flu when it gets here.
For more information about HSHS Medical Group, visit hshsmedicalgroup.org.
Additional source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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