Southern Illinois offering drive thru vaccine clinics

CAPE GIRARDEAU Mo. (KBSI) – Starting on October 3 there are several locations in Southern Illinois where you can get your flu and Covid 19 vaccine without leaving your car. 

To get these vaccinations all you need is your health insurance card and to wear a shirt that gives access to the upper arm.

With flu season right around the corner, Shawna Rhine with Southern Seven Health Department explains this is an easy way to make sure you’re covered for the flu season.

“We want people to understand that those are the only two shots that we are giving at the clinic. If you are needing other vaccinations through the health department such as HPV or others you can contact your local public health clinics, and we will make arrangements for you to do so.”

Rhine wants to let the people know the new Covid vaccine shot they are allowing adults to get through the drive thru will fight off the new Covid 19 variant.

“We want people to realize the vaccination is not just for you, it’s for others around you. If you have someone in your household or your work environment who cannot be vaccinated for one reason or another this is an opportunity to protect them as well.”

The question is if this service will soon come to pharmacies in Southeast Missouri.

Eric Daume is the pharmacist manager for Medicenter Pharmacy in Cape Girardeau.

He says that he is not opposed to doing drive thru clinics in the future, but he wants to work together with other locations in the area to make a bigger impact. 

“The beauty about MediCenter is we do have several locations through Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois so we would probably get all of the pharmacists and managers together and interested in taking care of our patients and trying to find a common solution so it would look uniformed between all the locations.”

Daume uses a specific sport as an example when it comes to getting vaccinated. 

“You wouldn’t go into a basketball game without having practice first you would get whooped you would get beat really bad but that’s why you have practice first. When you are practicing you are still going through all the motions you may get hot and sweaty you might get tired you might not feel good after practice but nobody loses in practice. But now when you go into the game you are much better prepared. You still may lose but you’re not going to lose as badly.”

There is no appointment needed; you can go through the drive through at any time as long as you are 18 years or older.

To see what times and locations are near you visit: www.southern7.org