The Hays County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to authorize the health department to give the remaining employee flu shots for eligible members of the public at its Oct. 15 meeting.
This comes after the Hays County Health Department offered employee flu shots during the week of Sept. 23-27 and then offered department heads and elected officials the opportunity to schedule employee flu shots for their staff for Oct. 7-11.
Because not all employees elected to receive the immunization, the health department asked the court for authorization to use the remaining flu shots to vaccinate the public who are eligible, according to the Adult Safety Net Program.
“We have traditionally ordered a little over 300 flu shots in the health department for employees and their spouses — anyone covered under our health plan. Over the last few years, the number of people taking advantage of those shots has decreased. So, this year, we have approximately 150 shots remaining,” said Tammy Crumley, director of countywide operations. “We have given ample opportunity for employees to take advantage of those. We have even taken out our mobile vaccine unit to different county buildings. We have made it extremely easy for employees to get a flu shot, [but] we've had a lot of resistance to flu shots. We’ve encouraged people; I don’t know what the resistance is, but nevertheless, there is and we have some [shots] remaining.”
Members of the public who could receive the flu shots would be those who normally qualify for health department services, Crumley explained. According to agenda documents, residents who are 18 and over and uninsured would be eligible to receive a flu shot.
“We don't get anything out of not using those shots and we have folks out there, especially some of our senior centers who are actually setting up vaccine clinics,” said commissioner Walt Smith. “If we can provide them with that, I think it’s a perfect use of it.”
To communicate this opportunity to the public, Crumley said that the health department will work with qualified centers who are holding vaccination clinics, along with working with other entities and utilizing social media to get the message out.
The department would vaccinate residents who are eligible during walk-ups or a scheduled appointment at the clinic and at requested community partner events until all flu shots have been given, according to agenda documents.
For more information on the Hays County Health Department, visit www.hayscountytx.gov/healthdepartment.
