City of El Paso offers free drive-by flu shots at Clint High School

CLINT, Texas (KVIA) — Health experts are urging the public to get a flu vaccine as soon as possible, as they raise concerns about the virus spreading simultaneously with Covid-19.

The City of El Paso is offering free flu shots at Clint High School Friday between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. The vaccines are free and no appointment is required. Anyone older than the age of four can receive a flu shot. The event is drive-by only.

One of the concerns is that flu and Covid-19 can have similar symptoms, making it difficult to tell them apart. Another concern is that flu patients can add strain to hospitals already dealing with Covid-19 patients.

Dr. Armando Meza, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, said it’s also possible that a patient could be infected with flu and Covid-19 at the same time.

“What we don't know yet is out of people who get infected with the viruses, how much is the damage going to increase when you have two diseases affecting the same organs, especially your lungs,” he said. “So the big question is going to be, ‘what are we going to do?’”

The CDC says a typical flu season can run between October and May. A local infectious disease expert says immunity to influenza from the vaccine will last several months. He said the best time to get a vaccine is right before cases begin to spike.

“ I think that the uncharted territory that we're going to face in the next few months is going to be, ‘how is the clinical presentation for people infected with those two viruses?’” said Dr. Meza. “If it happens at the same time, it's going to be managed, but to make sure that you don't get into that situation, get your flu shot now.”