The Chihuahua Ministry of Health announced that it is now offering drive-through flu vaccination facilities in the capital and in the cities of Juárez and Cuauhtémoc as a way to vaccinate the public against influenza while avoiding the spread of Covid-19.

Chihuahua city now has drive-through facilities at a children’s hospital, a convention center and at the Autonomous University of Chihuahua. Ciudad Juárez has one on Paseo Triunfo de la República Avenue, and in Cuauhtémoc, drive-through vaccinations can be obtained at the Polideportiva Cuauhtémoc, a municipal sports center.

The ministry’s subdirector of preventative medicine, Wendy Ávila, explained that the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way the state must operate its vaccination programs to avoid crowds of people forming. Recipients at the drive-through facilities will be able to get vaccinated without leaving their cars through the program, which runs until December 20.

The program is meant to vaccinate children, the elderly, and other vulnerable sectors of the population such as pregnant women and persons with asthma, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or obesity.

In addition to the drive-through facilities, Ávila said, people can get vaccinated for influenza and other diseases at the public health centers throughout the state.

Fifty-four percent of the state’s vulnerable population has already been vaccinated against the flu, as have 46% of medical workers, she said.

Locations and hours of operation for the drive-through flu vaccination facilities are:

• Ciudad Chihuahua: Hospital Infantil de Especialidades, the Autonomous University of Chihuahua campus and the Centro de Convenciones Expo Chihuahua. All are open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. and 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekends.
• In Ciudad Juárez: on Paseo Triunfo de la Republica Avenue, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• In Ciudad Cuauhtémoc: at the Polideportivo Cuauhtémoc, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Source: Reforma (sp)