The state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will hold a flu vaccine clinic for local residents on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Gaffney High School.

The walk-in and drive-through flu clinic will allow residents to be vaccinated before the flu season begins. The flu season typically runs from February to April. Appointments are not necessary.

“The best way to reduce the effects of the flu virus is to take the flu vaccine,” DHEC Bureau of Disease Control Director Dr. Jerry Gibson said. “The vaccine provides immunity not only to the person who receives it, but also to the community at large when more people are protected.”

The federal Centers for Disease Control recommends persons 65 and older and others in high-risk categories be the first to be vaccinated. These priority groups include nursing home residents, people ages 2 to 64 with a chronic illness, children from 6 to 23 months old, pregnant women, and health care workers.

There are two more national providers of flu vaccine this year than in 2004.

DHEC, one of many flu shot providers statewide, ordered a record 250,000 flu doses.

Flu clinics are planned to handle large volumes of traffic from residents in DHEC’s Region 2 that includes Cherokee, Greenville, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union counties.

To help reduce long waiting periods, county residents are encouraged to arrive an hour or more after the clinic begins. Longer lines tend to form early and then get smaller. Those arriving early should be prepared for a longer wait.

“This process will provide effective and efficient service while exercising our readiness to vaccinate a large number of people quickly and safety,” said Dr. David Goolsby, director of DHEC’s Region 2 Public Health. “The ability to provide swift and efficient service to large numbers of residents, especially when it comes to vaccinations, is a very important way to protect the public.”

This year’s flu clinic plan should be familiar to many residents in the Upstate.

“We did this last year in Greenville and Pickens counties with great success,” Goolsby said. “We are using those experiences in our planning this year and anticipate very positive outcomes in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties as well.”

For more information, contact the Cherokee County Health Department at 487-2705. DATE: Saturday, Nov. 5

TIME: 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

LOCATION: Gaffney High School

SCHEDULING: No appointment necessary

COST: The vaccinations are $15 each