EPC Health offering low-cost flu shot walk-in clinics

El Paso County Public Health is hosting low-cost flu shot walk-in clinics today and next Tuesday.

The clinic accepts Medicaid for adults and children and will give low-cost vaccines to those with no insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines. It will also work with patients who have difficulty paying.

The clinics are Tuesday Jan 5 and Tuesday Jan 12 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The department organized the clinics after the first flu-related hospitalization of the season in the county was reported last week. Last week at this time, there had been 223 flu-related hospitalizations. Despite the dramatic drop, El Paso County Public Health doesn’t want the public to be falsely reassured.

“There’s a chance that the flu virus that’s circulating could drift a little bit, meaning genetically, it could change slightly, or any number of other reasons we might have more flu,” Interim Medical Director Jamer Terbush said.

This year’s flu vaccine could also be more effective than last year’s.

“The genetic match between circulating strains and what’s in the vaccine is very good this year,” Terbush said.

He encourages people to get a shot for themselves and to help keep others more susceptible to the flu from getting sick.