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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What to Expect During Your Outpatient Visit

Now that cases of COVID-19 in the state have plateaued and Governor Phil Scott has given the go-ahead to resume elective procedures, the physicians and nurses at Southwestern Vermont Health Care are eager to provide the elective procedures that were postponed at the onset of the pandemic.

At the same time, we recognize that we need to implement enhanced precautions to ensure safety. See news about the universal safety precautions we are taking here.

Two areas in particular, outpatient surgery and diagnostics (which include the lab and imaging departments), have put additional precautions in place to ensure patient and staff safety.

Outpatient Surgery

3 – 4 Days Before Procedure. Patients will be given directions to get a drive-up swab test for COVID-19. The test should be conducted 3 – 4 days before your surgery. There is no out-of-pocket charge. Patients are given a cloth mask and are asked to wear it and self-isolate until surgery. Results for most tests are expected to be negative. Your surgeon will be in touch with you if there is a positive result. Procedures for those who have tested positive will be rescheduled.

Day of Procedure. Patients should come to the procedure alone, unless they need to be accompanied for safety reasons. Both patients and companions should wear a cloth face covering to the hospital. They are screened for symptoms at the main entrance. Patients will be given a medical-grade procedure mask to wear once they are checked into the unit.

Post Procedure. After the procedure, we will continue to be available to you. You will be provided a link that can be accessed via your cell phone or Internet. The link includes a brief questionnaire to help us assess your progress and guide you to a smooth recovery.

Diagnostic Imaging and Lab Work

Like those receiving an outpatient procedure, every imaging patient will be screened over the phone before arriving at the hospital. Lab patients with appointments will also be pre-screened on the phone. All patients should come for lab and imaging alone, unless a support person is needed for safety reasons. Patients should wear a cloth face covering to the hospital and for the entire duration of their stay. Patients are screened again at the main entrance.

Patients will notice some changes in the waiting rooms. Chairs have been spaced 6 feet apart to comply with social distancing. Reading material has been removed to discourage touching things that have been touched by others. In addition, the exam rooms are being deep cleaned after every patient, and the waiting rooms and high-traffic areas are disinfected hourly.

The clinical professionals at SVHC are confident that these measures, along with continued social distancing, will allow patients to receive the care they need in a safe and timely way.

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