COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — Baptist Memorial Health Care is hoping to protect as many people as possible from the flu, and gave away hundreds of free flu shots at two different hospitals Monday.
Tom McCarthy showed up early at Baptist Memorial Hospital – Collierville to get the vaccine.
He said he gets the flu shot every year because he doesn’t want to risk getting sick.
“I mean, there are no side effects and there are people who die from influenza,” McCarthy said.
Every year, thousands of people die from complications from the flu, and about 200,000 more are hospitalized.
Baptist health officials don’t know if things like Ebola and the enterovirus are making more people concerned about their own health, but say they need to know there’s something they can do to prevent the flu.
Emily Lee heard the flu season might be bad this year and decided to get a flu shot for the first time.
“I don’t normally get them, but this year I kind of got talked into it by my kids,” Lee said.
She said now everyone in her household will be happy.
A free flu clinic was also held at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto.
The flu season usually peaks sometime between December and February, but can start as early as November.