Long Beach Offers Free Flu Shots at 10 October Clinics for Ages 6 Months and Up, Drive-Through Finale on Oct. 29
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Long Beach is offering free flu shots at a series of community clinics across the city throughout October, ahead of the respiratory virus season.
The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services has scheduled 10 vaccination events running through Oct. 29. The first clinic was held Thursday at the MacArthur Park Theater Center. People 6 months and older are eligible to receive a flu vaccine at any of the events.
The remaining clinic schedule:
— Tuesday, Oct. 13, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., El Dorado Park West Teen Center, 2800 N. Studebaker Road;
— Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Ave.;
— Thursday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 E. Fourth St.;
— Tuesday, Oct. 20, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Admiral Kidd Park, 2125 Santa Fe Ave.;
— Wednesday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Silverado Park Community Center, 1545 W. 31st St.;
— Thursday, Oct. 22, 3 to 6 p.m., Michelle Obama Library, 5870 Atlantic Ave.;
— Tuesday, Oct. 27, 3 to 6 p.m., Harte Library, 1595 W. Willow St.;
— Wednesday, Oct. 28, 3 to 6 p.m., Burnett Library, 560 E. Hill St.; and
— Thursday, Oct. 29, 3 to 7 p.m., Main Health Facility, 2525 Grand Ave.
The Oct. 29 event, called "Say Boo 2 Flu," will be the city's largest flu vaccination clinic of the season, offering drive-through vaccinations so people 6 months and older can get a flu shot without leaving their vehicles.
No appointments are required at any of the clinics, and accommodations for people with access and functional needs and those arriving by public transportation are available upon request.
Mayor Rex Richardson encouraged residents to get vaccinated early: "Don't let the flu be the scariest part of the Halloween season... Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to protect yourself and those around you from the flu."
The Health Department supports the California Department of Public Health and West Coast Health Alliance immunization recommendations for flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus for the 2026-27 respiratory virus season. The recommendations emphasize protecting people at higher risk of serious illness, including children, older adults, people who are pregnant, and those who live or work with people at higher risk.
The urgency is real: during the 2025-26 respiratory virus season, about 2,500 laboratory-confirmed flu cases and eight flu-related deaths were reported in Long Beach, according to the city.
"Even if the vaccine doesn't prevent all flu infections, it can significantly reduce the severity of illness and the likelihood of hospitalization or death," City Health Officer Dr. Cliff Okada said. He also urged residents to practice healthy habits such as washing hands and staying home when sick.
For Chinese-American families, the clinics are a convenient and free option to protect children and elderly relatives before the flu season peaks. Residents can check for updates to the clinic schedule at longbeach.gov/flu or call the city's Immunization Clinic at 562-570-7912.
(Source: City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services)
Source: City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 长滩市民中心外景，CC0 公有领域（Wikimedia Commons）
