Community Corner

Narragansett, South Kingstown Partner with HEALTH to Offer No-Cost Vaccination Clinics

Flu, Tdap and pneumonia vaccines will be available at all clinics.

Lauren Costa's profile picture
Lauren Costa, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

Narragansett and South Kingstown, in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH), will each host a free immunization clinic in the coming weeks.

The communities are just two of 19 that will be offering the no-cost clinics throughout the state between Nov. 5 and Dec. 14. The clinics will also help cities and towns test their public health emergency preparedness plans.

Pier Middle School, located at 235 South Pier Road in Narragansett, will host a vaccination clinic from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6. South Kingstown's clinic will take place from 5-8 p.m. at Broad Rock Middle School, located at 351 Broad Rock Road in Wakefield on Thursday, Dec. 5.

Flu vaccine, Tdap (which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), and pneumococcal vaccine (which protects against pneumonia) will be available at all locations. Insurance is not required for vaccinations, though people with coverage are asked to bring their insurance cards. The clinics are open to children and adults. 

“The flu is a serious illness that can spread easily. Everyone six months of age and older should get a flu shot every year," said Director of Health Michael Fine, M.D. "If you have not been vaccinated yet, this is a great chance to protect yourself and the ones you love."

“Pertussis, known as whooping cough, can also be dangerous," Fine continued. "Pertussis often spreads from adults to infants. Anyone who is around an infant, or who will be around an infant, should get a pertussis shot. This includes pregnant women.”

Who should get a flu shot?
  • Everyone older than six months of age.
  • Flu shots are especially important for pregnant women, the elderly, healthcare workers, and people with long-term medical conditions. Examples of long-term medical conditions are asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.
Who should get a Tdap vaccination?
  • All pregnant women should receive Tdap with each pregnancy from their prenatal care provider, if they are more than 26 weeks pregnant.  If a prenatal provider does not provide Tdap, a public clinic is an option to receive the vaccine.
  • Anyone who spends time with an infant.
  • Anyone 11 years of age or older who has never received a dose of Tdap.
Who should get pneumococcal vaccine?
  • Any adult who smokes or has asthma.
  • Anyone 65 years of age or older (even if they have previously been vaccinated).
  • Babies and young children should also get vaccinated against pneumonia, however the type of pneumococcal vaccine that they receive will not be available at these public clinics. Parents should contact their children’s doctors about these shots.
People are able to receive multiple vaccines at the same time.
 
A schedule of clinics can be found under the header "Clinics Hosted By Cities and Towns" at www.health.ri.gov/find/vaccinations.
 
Click here for more information about flu, Tdap, and pneumonia vaccines. For general information about the clinics, call the Health Information Line at (401) 222-5960.

Find out what's happening in Narragansett-South Kingstownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Narragansett-South Kingstown