Flu vaccine is now available for all patients (including pregnant women) at Naval Hospital Jacksonville and Branch Health Clinic Jacksonville.

Patients enrolled at the hospital can walk-in to Immunizations Clinic, Monday - Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. or Thursday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Active duty patients enrolled at BHC Jacksonville will get shots via command shot exercises. Those who miss the shot exercises can walk-in to BHC Jacksonville's Immunizations Clinic, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Vaccination is the first and most important step in protecting against the flu. It's also a requirement for active duty military personnel, selected reserves, and health care workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccination with an injectable flu vaccine for everyone six months and older.

As recommended by CDC, nasal spray won't be offered for the 2017-2018 flu season. The injectable vaccine is effective for everyone, including pregnant women (protecting mom during pregnancy, and baby for up to six months after birth) and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or emphysema.

For questions, call Immunizations Clinic at 904-542-7810, or visit CDC's website at www.cdc.gov/flu/.

NH Jacksonville's priority since its founding in 1941 is to heal the nation's heroes and their families. The command is comprised of the Navy's third largest hospital and five branch health clinics across Florida and Georgia. Of its patient population (163,000 active and retired sailors, soldiers, Marines, airmen, guardsmen, and their families), about 85,000 are enrolled with a primary care manager and Medical Home Port team at one of its facilities. To find out more or download the command's mobile app, visit www.med.navy.mil/sites/navalhospitaljax.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Hospital Jacksonville, visit www.navy.mil/.