Mobile sites slated to provide flu vaccine

  • Published
  • By By Maj. Jeremy Sikora
  • Wright-Patterson Immunization Clinic
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Oh. --  Influenza (flu) season is once again upon us, and vaccination is one of the most important ways to combat this disease that contributes to 36,000 deaths annually in the United States. Each year the Wright-Patterson Immunization Clinic strives to vaccinate our population as efficiently and safely as possible, beginning with active-duty personnel (to ensure mission readiness) and highest risk individuals.

The vaccine is recommended for everyone age 6 months and older, and both the FluMist (age 2 to 49 years) and the flu shot (age 6 months and older) provide significant protection, each with similar side effects that are typically minor (including fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, and runny or stuffy nose).   Serious side effects are rare. It is important to note that while you can develop these mild flu-like symptoms, none of the available flu vaccines cause "the flu."

As in previous years, the clinic will be coordinating mobile flu vaccine lines to provide a convenient opportunity to ensure that beneficiaries have access to this life-saving vaccine. Influenza vaccination is mandatory for all active-duty personnel and healthcare employees, without medical contraindication. All TRICARE beneficiaries should present their military identification card prior to being immunized.  

Importantly, this season, the clinic will be joining forces with Public Health Dayton-Montgomery County to extend flu vaccination to civilian employees without TRICARE   who present a copy of their insurance card and photo ID. This opportunity will be available base-wide during two of the scheduled lines (the remainder of the lines will provide flu vaccine to TRICARE beneficiaries only). Third-party insurance will be billed for the vaccination for those civilians without TRICARE who wish to take advantage of the designated mobile flu lines.

The following is the Wright-Patterson AFB flu vaccine schedule for 2014:

The flu vaccine will be available to all employees with TRICARE or proof of other insurance at the following location (Those without TRICARE must bring copy of insurance card and photo identification):  

Oct. 10 -- Area B, Air Force Institute of Technology's Kenney Hall auditorium: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The flu vaccine will be available to employees with TRICARE at the following locations:

Oct. 3 -- U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Bldg. 840, atrium: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oct. 9 -- HQ Air Force Materiel Command, Bldg. 262, Sarris auditorium: noon to 4 p.m.

The flu vaccine will be available to all TRICARE beneficiaries (including dependents and retirees) at the following locations:

Oct. 14-17 and Oct. 20-23-- Area A, Medical Center atrium: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oct. 24 -- Kittyhawk Area, Community and Airmen   Center (across from the bowling center): 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition, the vaccine will be available to individuals who are designated "high risk" by their medical provider in the Immunization Clinic during normal duty hours (7: 30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) as soon as the vaccine is available.

For regular updates regarding vaccine availability, contact the Wright-Patterson AFB flu hotline at 904-3588. Mobile lines typically only require a few minutes of wait time, whereas during this busy season vaccination in the walk-in Immunization Clinic may require an extended wait time due to high patient volume. For additional information on influenza and the vaccine, go to www.cdc.gov/flu  .