A free influenza clinic was held at the Loudoun County Shenandoah building on Monday and Tuesday this week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Chief of Operations Benita Boyer said the vaccines are being provided to the public at no cost, as a result of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds, in order to help expand the number of people protected from the virus. 

This year's seasonal flu vaccine will protect residents from the three flu strains expected to be most common this year, she said.

The Virginia Department of Health currently has the mist formulation of the vaccine for people two to 49 years of age as well as a formula that can be injected for people older than 36 months.

Both formulations are preservative free, Boyer said, and the only people who can not get flu shot are people who have allergies to eggs.

Boyer said that anyone over the age of six months should be vaccinated as the flu season approaches. It could keep you from losing valuable time from work, school and could even save your life. _

"It's important to get the vaccine so that you don't get the flu," Boyer said, adding that  pregnant women, children, people over the age of 65 and 18- to 24- years-olds, who do not traditionally get flu shots, are priority shot recipients. "And it's an important one because of last years experience with the flu hitting young people," she said.

Boyer said 459 people attended the free clinic on Monday. On Tuesday, 225 people had received their shot by noon.

"We'll probably match yesterday's number by the end of the day," Boyer said, mentioning that there were about 300 people a day who received their shots at the Dulles Town Center last week. "We're almost at 3,000 people when we add it all up."

Loudoun County has plenty of vaccine to distribute, according to Boyer.

Clinics are scheduled to take place the remainder of the week:

* Wednesday, 9am – 4pm  and Thursday, 9 -11am at the Loudoun County Health Department, 45201 Research Place, Suite 120, in Ashburn.

* Thursday, 1 - 4pm and Friday, 9am – 4pm at the Loudoun County Government Center, 1st Floor, 1 Harrison Street SE in Leesburg.

Boyer said whether or not residents are vaccinated, they should wash their hands and stay home if they're sick.

Other key steps residents should take to stay well and reduce the spread of disease include sneezing and coughing into ones upper sleeve, avoiding close contact with sick people, and to avoid touching ones eyes, nose or mouth when in contact with sick people.

For more information on staying safe from the flu visit www.vdhnoflu4u.com or by contacting the Health Department at flu@loudoun.gov.

Additional flu vaccination clinics can be found online at www.flucliniclocator.org.