KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — You can get a free flu shot this Saturday at six Knox County schools.
The shots will be given 8 a.m. to noon while supplies last at the following schools:
- Austin-East Magnet High School
- Farragut High School
- Halls High School
- West High School
- South-Doyle Middle School
- Carter High School
The shots will be available to anyone aged 4 and up.
This is the 28th year for Free Flu Shot Saturday. Donations will be accepted, but are not required, at the event for the Empty Stocking Fund, a charity providing 3,000 food baskets and toys to the community’s underprivileged during the holiday season.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, everyone six months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. Flu outbreaks can begin as early as October, and they peak in December and January -- so the CDC recommends you get the vaccination soon.
So why should you get a flu vaccine every year? According to the CDC, several different viruses can cause the flu -- and the most common ones are different every year. The seasonal flu vaccine protects you from the four viruses that experts predict will be most common this winter.
This year, Free Flu Shot Saturday is teaming up with Walgreens to supply a high dose influenza vaccine, which is designed specifically for people 65 years and older.