Brookline Hosting 4 Free Flu Vaccination Clinics

BROOKLINE, MA — The Brookline Department of Public Health and Human Services has announced that it is hosting a series of flu vaccination clinics in the coming weeks, including one for older adults.

Sigalle Reiss, Public Health director, is encouraging members of the community to take advantage of the free clinics, where flu shots are available to everyone 6 months of age and older.

"Ensure you and your children receive their flu vaccinations to protect yourself and others as fall and winter push activities indoors," Reiss said. "Vaccination is consistently the best defense against the flu."

From 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 19, the department is hosting its first clinic at the Brookline Senior Center, located at 93 Winchester St.

This clinic will exclusively administer high-dose flu vaccines, which are recommended for individuals who are 65 years of age and older. Registration for the clinic at the Senior Center is available online.

The Department of Health will host three other clinics, all of which will administer vaccines to residents 6 months of age and older. The clinics are scheduled for:

• 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Oct 4, at Baker School, 205 Beverly Rd.
• 9 a.m. to noon on Oct. 15 at Brookline High School's Schluntz Gymnasium, 115 Greenough Street.
• 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Florida Ruffin Ridley School, 205 Beverly Road

Residents can register online for the clinics. Attendees are required to bring insurance cards, Medicare cards and a form of identification, and they are asked to wear short-sleeved or loose-fitting attire for convenience.

The Brookline Department of Public Health also offered some other suggestions for staying healthy in the coming weeks and months:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Enhance ventilation in indoor spaces by opening windows where possible.
• Stay home and isolate from others if you feel unwell or experience symptoms of the flu or COVID-19.
• If symptomatic, take a COVID-19 test or consult your primary care physician for flu testing.
• Prioritize vaccination against both the flu and COVID-19.
• All individuals age 6 and above should receive an updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of previous vaccinations.
• When indoors around others, wear a high-quality mask. Masking remains an effective measure in curbing the spread of respiratory illnesses like the flu and COVID-19, especially for individuals at higher risk of severe illness and those in close contact with high-risk individuals.