Where to Get a Flu Shot in Chicago

As Chicago city health officials prepare for the winter, protecting Chicago's citizens from the flu virus is high on their list of necessities. Each year, about 200,000 Americans are infected with the flu and 36,000 die from flu-related complications. In order to minimize the risk to the citizens of Chicago, officials have begun a campaign to educate the public about the dangers of the flu and to prompt Chicagoans to get their flu shots.

To prepare for the upcoming flu season, officials with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) with support from the Chicago Department on Aging (CDoA) are holding clinics where they will offer free flu shots throughout the city to citizens of Chicago. More than 100 clinics will be held throughout the months of October and November and will continue into the early part of December. Officials are working to close the gap in the low number of African-Americans and Hispanics who receive the flu shot every year by holding clinics in the communities with a higher percentage of ethnic citizens.

The free flu shot clinics are open to everyone, but high-risk individuals are urged to take advantage of the program. Vaccinations against pneumococcal infection, a complication of the flu, will also be offered. Though the flu shot must be repeated annually, pneumococcal vaccinations are generally required only once to provide ongoing immunity. Vaccinations are free, but senior citizens should bring their Medicare cards with them.

The locations and times of the free flu shot clinics throughout Chicago are: