Flu Shots, Preventative Health Screenings Available for Older Adults

An array of preventive health services and screenings, including flu and pneumonia vaccinations, will be widely available throughout DeKalb County this fall, including the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area, through Senior Connections.

The various clinics are sponsored by SPARC (Sickness Prevention Achieved through Regional Collaboration), which brings together the Atlanta Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging, county-based aging programs and other partners throughout the region. The goal is to improve access to preventive services and screenings and so encourage more and more people–particularly older adults–to get flu shots, pneumonia vaccinations, mammograms and other screenings every year.

This fall, there will be four separate SPARC events in DeKalb County where seniors can get preventive health services and screenings, including vaccinations, blood pressure and blood glucose screenings, nutrition screenings and more. The first is in the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area:

1. Sept. 21 – Briarcliff Oaks Senior High Rise
2982 Briarcliff Rd., 10am - 2pm, please be there by 9:30am;

2. Sept. 27 – Senior Connections – North DeKalb Senior Center
5238 Peachtree Rd., Chamblee, 9am - 1pm, please be there by 8:30am;

3. Oct. 5 – South DeKalb Senior Center
1931 Candler Rd., Decatur, 10am - 2pm, please be there by 9:30am;

4. Oct. 12 – Lou Walker Senior Center
2538 Panola Rd., Lithonia, 10am - 2pm, please be there by 9:30am.

SPARC is sponsored by Senior Connections, DeKalb County, DeKalb County Board of Health, ARC, Georgia Cares, Care Improvement Plus, Kaiser Permanente, and Visiting Nurse Health System.

Nationally, some 20,000 people die from flu each year–more than from any other vaccine-preventable disease–and another 114,000 are hospitalized. A flu shot takes about 15 seconds and usually costs less than $25 (persons on Medicare can get a flu shot for free.) Flu and pneumonia shots are particularly important for older adults, individuals with long-term health problems and those with weakened immune systems.