Rockland To Offer Residents Free Vaccinations At Clinics

NEW CITY, NY — The Rockland County Health Department has scheduled several flu and COVID-19 booster vaccine clinics. Three are coming up soon.

Clinics will be held at the Robert Yeager Health Center, Building A, at 50 Sanatorium Road in Pomona, this Friday and next:

• 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 30
• 1-3 p.m. Sept. 30
• 1-3 p.m. Oct. 7

To make an appointment for the flu vaccine, visit http://rcklnd.us/flu. To make an appointment for the COVID-19 booster, visit http://rcklnd.us/covid19.

The vaccines are free of charge. Walk-ins are welcome and will be registered on-site; however, there may be a wait.

For those with Medicare, Medicaid, or private health insurance, please bring your health insurance card. In order to receive either vaccine, you must wear a mask.

"The flu and COVID-19 are serious diseases that can lead to hospitalization and death. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and COVID-19 and spread it to those more vulnerable to complications," said Dr. Patricia Ruppert, county health commissioner. "Preventing a severe flu season from arriving along with COVID-19 is critical to protecting yourself, your families, and the community. I encourage all eligible adults, adolescents, and children to get their flu shot and be fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19 as soon as possible."

The vaccine offers protection against four different influenza virus strains that research shows will be most common during this flu season: two influenza A virus strains and two influenza B virus strains. The flu vaccine does not contain preservatives, including thimerosal.

All flu clinics are for anyone ages 6 months and older. A high-dose flu vaccine will be given to those 65 years of age and older.

Everyone 6 months of age and older should get the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available each year before the flu begins spreading in your community, health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting a flu vaccine by the end of October.

The new COVID-19 bivalent boosters, authorized by the Food and Drug Administration in August 2022, can be lifesaving and protective against variants not included in the primary vaccine series, health officials said. These new COVID-19 boosters are tailored to protect against Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants now circulating and the original version of the virus, strengthening previous vaccination protection.

Everyone 12 and older can receive the updated bivalent COVID-19 shot at least two months after their most recent vaccine or booster dose. The monovalent mRNA Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine remains authorized for use as boosters in children ages 5 through 11 and for all primary series vaccinations. More information on booster eligibility can be found here.

Ruppert advised: besides staying up-to-date on your immunizations, follow these good health habits: avoid close contact with people who are sick, stay home when you are sick, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, wash your hands often, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. More information on preventive measures can be found here.

Click here for more information about the flu vaccine, or call 845-364-2534. For assistance making a flu vaccine appointment, call 845-238-1956.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine/bivalent booster or help making an appointment, click here or call 845-238-1956.