Marblehead To Offer Drive-Thru Flu Shots For Seniors

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Flu shots may be as important as ever this year amid the coronavirus health crisis. But, due to COVID-19, the Marblehead Health Department will be administering flu shots to seniors a bit differently.

On Sept. 30, the Marblehead Health Department will offer a drive-thru, high-dose flu clinic for those 65 or older from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Marblehead Community Center. The drive-thru clinic is designed to be safer and more convenient due to the pandemic.

"Our flu clinic this year will be a drill (and) exercise with our stakeholders in emergency planning," Marblhead Health Director Andrew Petty said. "It will be a collaborative effort with police, fire and Council on Aging participating in the planning and operations."

Seniors must pre-register by calling the Marblehead Council on Aging at 781-631-6225. The event will be held rain or shine.

Registered seniors will be able to drive to the parking lot of the Marblehead Community Center on Humphrey Street and present their Medicare or insurance card for the shot. The Board of Health said that at this time only the high-dose shots are available for seniors due to being a vulnerable population.

Those with questions are asked to call the Board of Health at 781-631-0212.

(Scott Souza is a Patch Field Editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)