ST. LOUIS — Friday, there’s a community health clinic in the Central West End where you can get shots and screenings at no cost.
October is American Pharmacist month, and the student pharmacists from the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy of St. Louis are organizing a health clinic.
5 On Your Side crew met with the pharmacists who are organizing the clinic ahead of today's event. They say now is the time to get caught up on your flu and COVID-19 vaccines before cases spike in the winter, like we see every year.
This year, we’re facing a new threat-- the XEC variant of COVID-19. We asked Dr. Catherine Gilmore is a Professor of Pharmacy at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, will this year’s vaccine protect against it?
“The updated COVID vaccine protects against the KP-2 variant, which falls in that Omicron family, same as the current strains that are circulating around," Gilmore said. "So while it doesn't directly target that strain, because the vaccine falls in that omicron family, you are able to get protection against that.”
The health clinic runs from noon to 4 p.m. Friday at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis' Jones Hall, located at 4588 Parkview Place in the Washington University Medical Complex.
Student pharmacists will be administering free onsite vaccinations for flu, COVID-19, whooping cough and tetanus. There will also be blood pressure and blood glucose screenings as well as sexual health testing and screenings.
Organizers ask that you bring your insurance card if you have insurance.
If you currently take multiple medications and would like help sorting through them, you’re asked to bring something else.
Gilmore said, “If you want one of our pharmacists or pharmacy students to do a medication review for you and help figure out any side effects or any duplications of your medicines, do bring a printed list. If you have one on your phone of your updated medications, we will be able to do a medication review for you.”
You can also get safe medication disposal packets and free Narcan at the clinic.