City to offer free flu vaccinations at community clinics

Starting Friday, Long Beach health officials will host a series of community clinics offering people free flu shots.

The city's Health Department strongly recommends everyone six months and older get a flu shot every year ahead of flu season, which runs from mid-fall through mid-spring. The need is especially great for anyone who is considered at high risk of developing serious complications.

High risk people include infants, adults over the age of 65, caregivers of infants or older adults, people who are pregnant, those with chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma and people with compromised immune systems from cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc.

"Even if the vaccine doesn’t prevent all flu infections, it can significantly reduce the severity of illness and the likelihood of hospitalization or death," health officials said Thursday. "Widespread vaccination also helps reduce strain on the healthcare system."

Here's the schedule for the city's upcoming community clinics:

• Friday, Oct. 3, 3:30 to 6 p.m., Ramona Park Community Center (3301 E. 65th St.)
• Monday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
• Wednesday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Silverado Park Community Center, Main Hall (1545 W. 31st St.)
• Friday, Oct. 10, 3:30 to 6 p.m., MacArthur Park Theater Center (1321 E. Anaheim St.)
• Tuesday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., El Dorado Park West Teen Center (2800 N Studebaker Rd.)
• Wednesday, Oct. 15, 3:30 to 6 p.m., Bixby Park (130 Cherry Ave.)
• Thursday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Long Beach Senior Center, Social Hall (1150 E. 4th St.)
• Monday, Oct. 20, 2 to 6 p.m., McBride Park Community Center, Social Hall (1550 Martin Luther King Jr Ave.)
• Thursday, Oct. 23, 3 to 7 p.m., Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
• Tuesday, Oct. 28, 3:30 to 6 p.m., Admiral Kidd Park (2125 Santa Fe Ave.)

Health officials said the Thursday, Oct. 23 clinic will be a special "Boo 2 Flu" event in the spirit of Halloween and are asking everyone attending to come in costume. There will also be a special hour (2 to 3 p.m.) set aside for adults aged 60 and over, city officials said.

Appointments are not required for this clinic but are highly encouraged, city officials said. Residents can make an appointment by visiting the MyTurn website or calling 562-570-2974.

City officials are also encouraging residents to protect themselves during flu season with the following practices:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• Stay home if you feel sick;
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing;
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, which can transfer germs;
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, especially if someone is ill;
• If diagnosed with the flu, take antiviral medications as prescribed by your healthcare provider to help reduce the severity and duration of illness.

There were 3,541 lab-confirmed cases of influenza and 21 flu-related deaths in Long Beach during the 2024-2025 flu season, according to city health officials. This was a "significant increase" from the previous season, health officials said.  

Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control classified the 2024-2025 flu season as "high severity" for the nation as a whole, calling it "the most severe influenza season since 2017–18."

Between Sept. 29, 2024 and April 26, 2025, the CDC estimates that nationwide influenza caused 560,000-1.1 million hospitalizations and 38,000-99,000 deaths. By contrast, the CDC also estimated that flu vaccinations prevented 170,000-360,000 hospitalizations and 12,000-39,000 deaths.

In August, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Trump Administration's Secretary of Health and Human Services who has long attacked vaccine effectiveness and necessity, quietly endorsed medical recommendations that everyone six months and older get a flu shot.