SVMC Flu Clinics Now Open
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

SVMC Flu Clinics Now Open

Prepare for flu season: Get vaccinated, get protected

Everyone six months and older should get an influenza (flu) vaccination each year. Getting the flu shot helps protect you, your family and your community.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) welcomes the community to our upcoming flu vaccination clinics at ExpressCare and encourages patients of our practices to make an appointment during a scheduled clinic. 

To find the nearest flu clinic, visit SVMC’s Flu Vaccine website

If you are not a patient at one of the cited practices, you can still get flu shots on a walk-in basis at ExpressCare on the SVMC campus. In addition, your local pharmacy may also provide flu vaccines.

For additional information, please refer to the CDC for more flu resources.

 

Flu myth quiz

Are you flu savvy? Take this quiz and see how well you can tell flu fact from flu myth.

True or False: You can't get the flu from the flu vaccine.

True: The flu vaccine contains dead or inactivated flu virus, and cannot cause infection, so it is impossible to get the flu from the vaccine. The vaccine works to prepare your body to fight off infection from the live virus. A person may get a fever and body aches after getting the flu vaccine, but this is most likely the immune system reacting to the vaccine or an unrelated viral infection.

True or False: The flu vaccine significantly reduces your risk of getting the flu and passing it on to your family and friends.

True: Flu viruses change every year. The flu vaccine is updated to include current viruses from year to year. So get the flu vaccine every year to protect yourself and your friends and family.

True or False: The flu vaccine is safe for pregnant women, seniors and children over six months of age.

True: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the flu vaccine for everyone older than six months of age. The only reason not to get the vaccine is if you have had a severe reaction to the flu vaccine in the past.

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Six Questions with the Medical Director of SVMC Orthopedics

Dr. Michaela Schneiderbauer, medical director of orthopedics and orthopedic surgeon, answers six questions about getting orthopedic care right now.

1. What types of patients are you able to treat right now?

We are happy to see patients with all sorts of conditions returning to the practice for care. Patients have heard that the Governor has lifted restrictions for elective procedures, and they are ready to investigate their options for joint pain relief. Plus, the weather is getting nice again, so people are active outside. We've seen an increase in injuries related to outdoor activity, too.


2. Are you seeing patients remotely via telemedicine?

Yes. We offer telemedicine, and we use it a lot. Of course, there are limitations for those that need an X-ray or a physical exam. But telemedicine is a great option for initial visits when we need to collect patients' health history and for follow-ups.


3. How has care in the office changed over the past several months?

Patients will notice that we have gone beyond all of the Centers for Disease Control and Vermont Department of Health recommendations for office visits. All of our staff are wearing masks and shields or goggles, and patients are expected to wear a cloth face covering when they come in. In addition, we are making efforts to limit the number of people in our waiting rooms and office at any one time. For example, part of the check-in process now happens on the phone, instead of in person.


4. How is preparing for a surgery and recovering from a surgery different since COVID-19 became a concern?

Like for office visits, our pre-surgery processes have all been ramped up well beyond the state and national recommendations designed to decrease risk of contracting COVID-19. A few days before the surgery, we test patients for COVID-19 and ask them to self-quarantine until their procedure. The patient arrives to the hospital in their own cloth face covering. Visitors are limited. After the procedure, we provide patients with an app that allows them to note their temperature and any type of respiratory symptoms for a few weeks. If any of the information falls outside the norm, a nurse gives the patient a call. These are all examples of ways we are going beyond our very high infection-prevention standards to ensure safety for patients, their families, and our staff.


5. What would you like to share with people who postponed a joint replacement or other orthopedic care because of COVID-19?

Here in Vermont cases of COVID-19 cases have been relatively low. The Governor has given his approval by lifting restrictions for elective procedures, even those requiring an overnight hospital stay. SVMC started with an exceptionally low rate of hospital-acquired infections and added many extra precautions on top of that. We have the attitude that it is definitely safe to resume care both surgeries and other types of orthopedic care.


6. What are the greatest risks and rewards related to having orthopedic care now?

From our position as one of the safest hospitals in one of the safest states, the risks of contracting COVID-19 and other illnesses during a procedure or other care are very low. Many patients know this. They are coming in for their procedures and joint replacements. Many of them will recover and be active again in time to really enjoy this summer. That’s our goal: to help every patient resolve their orthopedic issues so that they can get back to doing the things they love.

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