Chills, aches, fevers and congestion are all symptoms of the well known sickness that tends to make its way around the city as winter approaches. However, Kay Collier hopes that she can make a difference and help to prevent a major flu outbreak. Collier is the owner of Harrisonburg Emergicare and provides her services to businesses and schools, including HHS.

“We do a lot of industrial businesses, we’ve gone to several companies sites, and anywhere we will do 50 to over 100 flu shots,” Collier said. “We have gone to the major schools in the Rockingham county.”

After the city sent out an email advertising free flu shots, multiple teachers gathered within the library reference room, where the flu shots were being distributed. School counselor Danielle Brino attended the flu shot offerings for the first time this year.

“Getting the flu shot in general will help prevent me from getting the flu, and it’s just super convenient to just come down the hall and not have to make and extra trip somewhere,” Brino said.

While many first timers attended this annual event, some teachers are veterans to the library flu shot. Physical Education teacher Paul Rath has attended before and continues to come back in order to steer clear of the infectious disease.

“I interact with a lot of people, all the time,” Rath said. “My dad lives at Sunnyside [Retirement Home], so I am around elderly people. I just think it’s wise to get the flu shot so i don’t spread it.”

This event truly does provide an opportunity to help protect the health of our school system, and people are noticing and taking advantage of that.

“I think there were over 100 people signed up at just this location,” Collier said. “That’s good because something like this could prevent the school from having too close late in this eason if too many people are sick.”