Protein Sciences and Hunter's Ambulance Launch "Healthy Choices" Mobile Flu Vaccine Clinic

Protein Sciences and Hunter’s Ambulance Launch “Healthy Choices” Mobile Flu Vaccine Clinic
Flublok® Influenza Vaccine at Your Door

For Immediate Release:

January 13, 2015

Meriden, CT — Protein Sciences Corporation and Hunter’s Ambulance announced today the launch of their new wellness initiative “Healthy Choices” Mobile Flu Vaccine Clinic that provides affordable, easy access to Flublok® influenza vaccine to people in Connecticut. Influenza is widespread across the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that this flu season may be especially bad because of the H3N2 flu virus that is circulating. The “Healthy Choices” clinic is designed to make flu vaccination simple and convenient, thereby promoting healthy communities.

The clinic is offering Flublok vaccine to all adults 18 years and older. Flublok is a highly pure flu vaccine- made without eggs, preservatives, antibiotics, latex, gelatin or flu virus- and contains 3 times more antigen than traditional flu vaccines. The vaccine is made in Meriden, CT.

There are two easy ways people can access the mobile clinic:

1. Call the reservation line 203-514-5191 to make an appointment for a licensed registered nurse to administer vaccine in the privacy of your own home. Bilingual registration specialists are available. Serving Meriden, Wallingford, Middletown, Cheshire, New Britain and Berlin.

2. Attend one of the pre-scheduled mobile clinics offered at key locations at designated times each week. Visit http://goo.gl/ihnw04 for an up-to-date list of locations and times. Serving locations throughout the state. “Healthy Choices” is partnered with the Meriden Housing Authority (MHA) to provide vaccination clinics for their residents at their complexes. Other communities wishing to schedule a clinic should contact Susan Manganello at 860-916-0172 or smanganello@proteinsciences.com.

Flublok is fully covered by insurance. Clinic participants should have their insurance card and ID available. As part of our initial launch, “Healthy Choices” will provide the vaccine for free to individuals with no insurance.

Eddie Siebert, Community Relations, MHA, said, “The MHA residents and entire Meriden Community are pleased to have this opportunity available to us. We have a state of the art vaccine available with Flublok that was conceived by Meriden’s own Protein Sciences.” He added, “I will be getting the shot. It is a gift to our community to have access to it.”

About Protein Sciences

Protein Sciences specializes in vaccine development and protein production. Our mission is our inspiration: to save lives and improve health through the creation of innovative vaccines and biopharmaceuticals.

Flublok, the world’s first recombinant protein-based vaccine for the prevention of seasonal influenza disease, was approved by FDA in January 2013. Flublok is the only flu vaccine made in a 100% egg-free system using modern cell culture technology, making it unnecessary to use an infectious influenza virus or antibiotics in manufacturing. Flublok is highly purified and does not contain any preservatives (e.g., thimerosal, a mercury derivative), egg proteins, gelatin or latex. In addition, Flublok contains three times more antigen than traditional flu vaccines (3x45mcg hemagglutinin protein versus 3x15mcg hemagglutinin protein)*. Flublok is a perfect copy of the virus coat and is not subject to the egg-adapted mutations associated with low vaccine effectiveness (see Skowronski et al. (2014) PLOS ONE 9(3), e92153).

Healthcare professionals can order Flublok by contacting FFF Enterprises at 800-843-7477.

Learn more at www.proteinsciences.com and www.flublok.com.

About Hunter’s Ambulance

Hunter’s Ambulance Service is a leading Mobile Integrated Healthcare Provider. Hunter’s provides Emergency and Non-Emergency - Basic, Paramedic and Critical Care Ambulance and Transportation throughout the state of Connecticut.

Established in 1963, Hunter’s employees pride themselves on professional and compassionate care utilizing state of the art vehicles, communications and medical equipment. Hunter’s main base of operations and administrative offices are located in Meriden and our services are provided throughout the state from four additional strategically placed satellite facilities.

Hunter’s is a proud community partner in the “Healthy Choices” Mobile Flu Vaccine Clinic.

Flublok Safety Information

Flublok is approved for people 18 and older to prevent influenza disease. The most common side effect from Flublok is pain at the site of injection. Headache, fatigue or muscle ache may occur.

Tell the doctor if you have ever experienced Guillain-Barré syndrome (severe muscle weakness) or have had a severe allergic reaction to any component of Flublok vaccine.

Vaccination with Flublok may not protect all individuals. Clinical effectiveness in adults 50 and older is based on the immune response elicited by Flublok and not on demonstration of decreased influenza disease.

Please see the complete Package Insert available at www.flublok.com or call 203-686-0800 for more information.

*Flublok demonstrated a higher antibody response to the A strains during 2 clinical trials in adults ≥50 years old. The B strain antibody response was comparable to traditional trivalent vaccines.

###