Flu Shot

This flu season is still in full swing, and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center is doing its part to help keep the community safe.

The UNM Medical Group is offering free flu shots for community members ages nine and up.

The drive-thru clinic is from 8 a.m.-noon this Saturday, Jan. 27, at 1801 Camino de Salud NE, near the UNM Dental Clinic on UNM’s Health Sciences Center north campus.

According to TriCore Reference Laboratories weekly Infectious Disease Report, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu cases are starting to pick up. It’s a late start compared to previous years, but health care experts expect numbers to increase in February and March.

 “People are always at risk for a new influenza strain so prevention becomes very important,” said Dr. Martha Muller, pediatric infectious diseases division chief at UNM Hospital. “That means it’s never too late to get the flu vaccine. With the ebb and flow of flu strains, we might see yet another small peak here in the next few weeks.”

Click here to read tips on how to avoid getting the flu, best practices for treating symptoms and when to make an appointment with your doctor.