SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Through the VA Medical Clinic on Irving Avenue, veterans living in Syracuse can partake in a drive-thru flu shot clinic. In the VA’s Parking Garage, from 9am to 2pm on every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from now until the end of the month veterans can get their 2021 edition of the flu shot without an appointment. If unable to make it to the drive-thru clinic, veterans can
Now more than ever it is important for people to get their flu shot as according to VA Medical Center nurse Valentine Barzac, there has been an increase in flu numbers among adults in 2021 compared to 2020. The uptick can be partially credited to the fact that in 2020, people were being extra precautious because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic Barzac said. He feels that people should still be careful about the flu, regardless of their past experiences with COVID-19.
“COVID is a virus so people may think that they are not going to get the flu,” Barzac said. “But the flu is a different type of virus and you may hear on the news that there are different variants of COVID. Well the flu has different variants.”
For Barzac, those variants make it all the more important for people to get their flu shot.
“We get a flu shot every year,” said Barzac. “It is because it is a different formulation and we try to pretty much guess what that formulation is every year and it is try to help protect us from that new variant.”
The list of reasons as to why people get the flu shot each year is never-ending. But Syracuse resident Gabby Sartori, keeps COVID-19 in mind.
“Keep the sicknesses to a minimal and keep those people out of the hospitals that are immunocompromised,” Sartori said.
Getting your flu shot is a great first step in order to decrease your chances of getting the flu but as Barzac explains, there is always more you can do to further limit you chances.
“Healthy living,”said Barzac. “You know eat right, exercise. Masking is important. Pretty much cover you coughs. Hand washing is very important. Common sense stuff that we are saving for COVID.”
Non-veterans can get their shots at most local pharmacies in Syracuse, as well as Upstate Medical, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and Crouse Hospital.
