Emergency and Public Health Personell gave out free flu shots on Saturday at Chattooga High School.  The mass flu shot clinic was more than just an opportunity for local residents to get a free seasonal flu shot, it was an exercise in emergency preparedness for local emergency workers.

Chattooga County Public Health Department joined most other counties across the state in conducting the mass flu shot clinic to prepare emergency workers for any possible event of an outbreak of pandemic flu.  Health officials say that the public should be aware there is a difference between seasonal flu and pandemic flu.  The last time a pandemic flu epidimic struck the United States was in 1968.  In fact pandemic flu has only struck the U.S. three times in the last 100 years.  Ninty years ago in the year 1918 it is estimated over 675,000 Americans died of the pandemic flu.

The exercise yesterday was to help train emergency personell in the event that another pandemic flu epidimic should occur.  Catoosa and Dade counties have all conducted similar exercises and Walker County’s exercise is slated for October 15th.