In the midst of a global pandemic, many are questioning the need for a flu shot. Dr. Fauci answers questions and gives tips on the flu shot.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska is teaming up with the YMCA to offer free flu shot clinics at more than a dozen locations across the state.
The clinics will be the week of Nov. 9 at 14 YMCAs, mostly in eastern Nebraska. The only one in Lincoln will be at the Copple Family YMCA, 8700 Yankee Woods Drive, Suite B, on Nov. 12 from 4-7 p.m.
The Beatrice YMCA also is hosting a clinic that same day from 5-7 p.m.
Vaccinations will be administered by OccuVAX, an independent company contracted by Blue Cross and covered by most major health insurance plans. Blue Cross will cover the cost of shots to people without insurance.
Flu shots will be available to anyone between the ages of 9 and 64. Because of a shortage, high doses for Medicare-eligible patients ages 65 and older will not be provided.
Preregistration is strongly recommended, though not required. Participants can create a basic OccuVAX profile and make an appointment at .
“Our goal is to be there for all Nebraskans who need a flu shot and help protect the state from a COVID-19 and influenza ‘twindemic’ this year,†said Dr. Debra Esser, chief medical officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska said in a news release. “It’s our pleasure to team up with local YMCAs to make these clinics available — whether participants are insured by us, another carrier or not at all.â€
PhotoFiles: How Lincoln and Nebraska responded to the 1918 flu pandemic
PhotosFiles: How Lincoln and Nebraska responded to the 1918 flu pandemic
1918 flu pandemic
Influenza and its complications sharply increased the death toll in Lincoln and Nebraska during the waning months of 1918. Masks were common apparel during the pandemic, as shown in this photo taken on the streets of Shelby.
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Lincoln Journal-Star, Dec. 19, 1993
A front-page story from the Dec. 19, 1993, edition of the Lincoln Journal-Star looked into the 1918 flu pandemic to mark its 75th anniversary. According to the article, Nebraska lost thousands to the deadly strain of influenza.
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Nebraska State Journal, Oct. 12, 1918
Front-page headlines in the Oct. 12, 1918, edition of the Nebraska State Journal announce closures of theaters, pool halls, church and more because of the 1918 flu epidemic.
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Nebraska State Journal, Oct. 14, 1918
A front-page story from the Oct. 14, 1918, edition of the Nebraska State Journal describes how Lincoln's city superintendent of health declared the flu's "backbone broken," during the 1918 pandemic.
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Nebraska State Journal, Oct. 15, 1918
An advertisement in the Nebraska State Journal on Oct. 15, 1918, describes how the flu should be treated by taking laxatives, among other cures. "No occasion for panic," the ad assures readers amid the 1918 flu pandemic.
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Nebraska State Journal, Oct. 24, 1918
A front page story in the Oct. 24, 1918 edition of the Nebraska State Journal explains how the worst of the 1918 flu pandemic had passed "as fast as the Retreat of Germans."
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Lincoln Star, Oct. 25, 1918
A clipping from the Oct. 25, 1918, edition of the Lincoln Star details the symptoms of the flu -- a disease responsible for a worldwide pandemic from 1918-1920.
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Lincoln Star, Oct. 25, 1918
A story from the Oct. 25, 1918, edition of the Lincoln Star explains the origins and symptoms of the flu, responsible for a global pandemic from 1918-1920. Some of the symptoms described included "aching, feverishness and sometimes a general feeling of weakness and depression."Â
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Lincoln Star, Oct. 25, 1918
An article in the Oct. 25, 1918, details how liquor seized in Fremont was turned over to local hospitals for use in combating the flu during the 1918 pandemic.
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Nebraska State Journal, Dec. 5, 1918
A front-page article in the Dec. 5, 1918, edition of the Nebraska State Journal describes the effect of the 1918 flu pandemic on Lincoln. Later in the story, officials recommended quarantining patients who came down with the disease.
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Nebraska State Journal, Dec. 8, 1918
13-year-old Beathel Simpson, of Raymond, writes in the Dec. 8, 1918, edition of the Nebraska State Journal how she crocheted during an extended school vacation due to the 1918 flu pandemic. The State Journal ran a series called "What I did on My Vacation: Letters from Young Journal Readers" amid school closures due to the flu.
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Nebraska State Journal, Dec. 8, 1918
Fred Snowden Claus, of Lincoln, describes in the Dec. 8, 1918, edition of the Nebraska State Journal how he spent an extended school vacation during the 1918 flu pandemic recovering from the illness by catching gophers, milking the cow and feeding the rabbits. The State Journal ran a series called "What I did on My Vacation: Letters from Young Journal Readers" amid school closures due to the flu.
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Lincoln Star, Dec. 17, 1918
This clipping from the front page of the Dec. 17, 1918, edition of the Lincoln Star describes how Nebraska grappled with the question of quarantining amid the 1918 flu pandemic.
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Lincoln Evening Journal, Jan. 8, 1941
A feature from the Jan. 8, 1941, edition of the Lincoln Evening Journal explores how another outbreak of war in Europe could bring back the same kind of flu that decimated the world during the 1918 flu pandemic.
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