FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2010 

Flu Shots at the Bus Stop Help Reach More Oklahomans

Health Officials Hope to Prevent Another Wave of H1N1 Flu

Forty Oklahomans have died from complications related to H1N1 flu and an additional 1,076 have been hospitalized, according to statistics released in February by the Oklahoma City-County Health Department. And flu season isn’t over.

To help prevent another wave of the serious disease, METRO Transit will be hosting a free community health fair on February 17 and 18 at the Downtown Transit Center, 420 N.W. 5th St., Oklahoma City. Free H1N1 immunizations will be offered as part of the community health fair.

“With an average of 10,000 people coming through the Downtown Transit Center on METRO Transit buses every day, we thought this would be a great opportunity to help reach a large segment of the population,” said Michael Scroggins, public information officer for METRO Transit.

METRO Transit is partnering with community organizations to provide Oklahomans with free services such as dental screenings, vision screenings, blood pressure checks, emergency preparedness education, H1N1 flu shots and other health services.

“We saw this as an opportunity to do more than give free flu shots. We want to promote healthy living among our riders and the metro area community by connecting them to other health services and screenings,” said Scroggins. “Instead of requiring people to make a trip to a health fair, we decided to bring the health fair to them.”

The health fair is open to the public and will provide a variety of services each day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those wanting to attend are encouraged to use public transportation.  

“We’re doing our best to prevent another wave of this serious disease. That’s why we’re continuing to encourage people to get vaccinated,” said Oklahoma City-County Health Department occupational health nurse Danielle Hylton.

Oklahoma City firefighters will be joining the effort to help administer the H1N1 flu shots. The firefighters are registered paramedics who have been trained to give vaccinations.

Right now, the number of H1N1 cases in the state is low, but the flu is unpredictable.

“We can’t afford to let our guard down,” said Hylton. “H1N1 hasn’t behaved like the typical seasonal flu that peaks during the coldest winter months. The H1N1 pandemic began last April, and scientists can’t predict whether or not we’ll see a resurgence.”

Agencies participating in the free health fair include: Community Health Centers, Inc., Heartline Oklahoma, Latino Community Development Agency, Neighborhood Services Organization, Oklahoma State Health Department, Oklahoma City-County Health Department, Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, Prevent Blindness Oklahoma and St. Anthony Hospital.

Children must be accompanied by an adult or have a signed note from a guardian in order to receive the H1N1 flu shot and other health services.

For more information, visit www.gometro.org or www.cchdoc.com.  

METRO Transit is a division of the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (COTPA). COTPA is a public trust administered by the City of Oklahoma City and is responsible for providing downtown parking and public transportation to the citizens of the greater Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

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