Some children have helped kick off this year's campaign "Flu Free Quad Cities." This afternoon at Madison Elementary School in Davenport, Genesis Health System started its 6th annual effort to vaccinate as many children as possible by giving shots to five children.
Genesis spokesman Ken Croken (KRO-kn) told a group of 5th graders that for each person who gets vaccinated, five other people do NOT get the flu. And it's the very old and very young who are most at risk if they come down with the flu.
Missy Gowey, executive director of the Genesis Health Services Foundation, says each year the foundation asks local businesses to help support "Flu Free Quad Cities" and under-write the cost of vaccinating as many children as possible.
Each shot costs 15 dollars.
The first year Genesis Health System sponsored Flu Free Quad Cities, it helped vaccinate 300 children. Last year, it was nearly 10,000, and that's the goal for this year. Vaccinations in schools will begin next month.
Flu-Free Quad Cities kick-off
