City Administers Free Flu Vaccines

Mayor Rahm Emanuel declared back in September that Dec. 3-8 would officially be designated "Vaccinate Chicago Week," and the city's Department of Public Health is using the week to raise awareness and give out free flu vaccines at clinics all over the city.

A clinic will be open at the 1st Ward office, 2058 N. Western Ave., on Friday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dr. Julie Morita, medical director for the department's immunization program, said part of this week's efforts is to remind people that it isn't too late to get vaccinated.

"Many people stop thinking about getting a flu vaccine around the holidays," Morita said. "They think it's too late, they missed their opportunity and they don't do it. But now is a really good time to get vaccinated, because the peak of flu activity usually doesn't occur until January of February, so if people want to protect themselves, especially over the holidays, now is a great time to get vaccinated."

While the health department is recommending that everyone six months old and above be vaccinated against the influenza virus, Morita said that certain groups, including people with heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes are especially at risk for ending up in the hospital if they catch the flu.

"We recommend that everybody get vaccinated, because everybody could get sick—even healthy people could get sick and spread it to those people who could end up in the hospital," Morita said. "So it's really a good thing for everybody to get vaccinated, but there are certain groups of people who are more high-risk to get seriously ill, and that's the elderly, the very young, people with underlying health conditions and pregnant women."

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Two types of vaccinations are available—traditional flu shots and a vaccine that's administered via nasal spray. Each vaccine carries risks of possible side effects—a stuffy nose and scratchy throat from the nasal spray and soreness, redness and swelling at the site of the injection—but Morita said these are mostly reported to be minimal.

"Some people think that you can get the flu from the flu vaccine, but you cannot," she said. "It's impossible to get sick from the flu from the vaccine. People believe that they can get it because they had an experience where they got a vaccine and they got sick, and what they have to remember is that it takes two weeks for the vaccine to actually work fully. And so if they've been exposed to somebody with the flu or another virus, they might get sick after they've gotten vaccinated, but it's not because of the vaccine."

The free clinics will primarily be run by the city's health department, although Walgreen's is also partnering with the city to supply and administer vaccines. The full list of free vaccination dates, times and locations, as listed on the city's website, is as follows:

Monday, December 3

8 a.m. – 4 p.m. - Uptown Health Center, 845 West Wilson (Lower Level)

8 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Roseland Community WIC, 11255 South Michigan Avenue

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. - Greater Lawn WIC, 4150 West 55th Street

9 a.m. – 1 p.m. - Mexican Consulate, 204 South Ashland Avenue

Tuesday, December 4

8 a.m. – 4 p.m. - Roseland Community WIC, 11255 South Michigan Avenue

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. - Greater Lawn WIC, 4150 West 55th Street

9 a.m. – 1 p.m. - Garfield Counseling Center, 4132 West Madison Street

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - 45th Ward-Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence

5 p.m. - 8 p.m. - 25th Ward, 2439 S. Oakley

Wednesday, December 5

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Dearborn Realtist Board, 8454 South Stony Island

8 a.m. – 4 p.m. - Roseland Community WIC, 11255 South Michigan Avenue

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. - Greater Lawn WIC, 4150 West 55th Street

Thursday, December 6

8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. - Lower West WIC, 1643 West Cermak

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Association House of Chicago, 1116 North Kedzie Avenue

9 a.m. – 3 p.m. - City Hall, 121 North LaSalle

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. - Englewood Health Center, 641 West 63rd Street

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. - Uptown Health Center, 845 West Wilson (Lower Level)

Friday, December 7

8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. - Lower West WIC, 1643 West Cermak

8 a.m. – 4 p.m. - Uptown Health Center, 845 West Wilson (Lower Level)

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Black United Fund of Chicago, 1750 East 71st Street

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - 1st Ward, 2058 N. Western Ave.

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - 18th Ward, 8108 S. Western Ave.

Saturday, December 8

10 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - 15th Ward Office, 3045 W. 63rd St.

Noon – 5 p.m. - Ford City Mall, 7601 South Cicero, Food Court