News Flash

With flu season already making its impact across the region, Supervisor Don Clavin and members of the Hempstead Town Board are partnering with Mount Sinai South Nassau to provide no-cost flu shots in its ongoing effort to safeguard senior citizens across the Town of Hempstead. A recent news report indicated that influenza is considered “widespread” across the state, making the timing of this annual senior flu shot program critical, particularly for the most vulnerable and those with chronic conditions.  

Supervisor Clavin, along with Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby, Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, Councilman Dennis Dunne, Sr., Councilman Thomas Muscarella, Councilman Chris Carini, Councilwoman Melissa Miller, Town Clerk Kate Murray and Receiver Jeanine Driscoll, joined with Adhi Sharma, MD, President of Mount Sinai South Nassau, to discuss the importance of senior citizens receiving a seasonal flu shot. 

            “Flu season continues to pose a threat to the most vulnerable, particularly to the senior citizen population,” Clavin said. “We encourage our senior residents to take advantage of this no-cost flu shot program coming soon to senior centers near you.”

“Mount Sinai South Nassau is fully anticipating and preparing for an unusually busy flu season. The flu annually causes tens of thousands of hospital and Emergency Department visits that often could be avoided if people took some simple preventative steps like getting the flu shot, washing their hands frequently and staying at home if they have the flu,” said Adhi Sharma, MD, President of Mount Sinai South Nassau.  “We are happy to again partner with the Town on this important public health effort.”

            The flu vaccines will be provided by additional staff from the hospital’s Community Education Department, simultaneously alongside the Vaxmobile at several senior centers on dates through November. Available vaccines include the senior citizen enhanced flu shot (ages 65 and over) and the standard flu shot for other age groups. In addition, at all town flu shot locations, the Vaxmobile is also offering the new updated Pfizer COVID booster shot at no cost.  

            According to the CDC, between a period of October 2021 and June 2022, there were an estimated up to 13 million flu cases, up to 170,00 flu-related hospitalizations and up to 14,000 flu deaths nationwide.

The MSSN Vaxmobile will be visiting senior centers as listed in the schedule below. In addition to receiving flu vaccines, senior residents may receive a COVID-19 booster shot during the same visit. Pre-registration is not required, and flu shots will be administered as walk-ups. There is no out-of-pocket cost for vaccines. The administrating hospital will bill insurance companies; however, there will be no co-payments for those receiving flu shots. The first flu shot events of the fall 2022 season were hosted at the Baldwin Senior Center on October 14^th and the Elmont Senior Center on October 20^th. 

The remaining MSSN Senior Flu Shot schedule is as follows:

“I urge senior citizens who have not yet been vaccinated for the flu this season to take advantage of this free program coming to a community near you,” Clavin said. “Thank you to the team at Mount Sinai South Nassau for this important collaboration to help protect residents in America’s largest township during this flu season.”