A line of cars began to build at 6 a.m. Saturday in front of the Franklin Medical Office Building in Denver.
An hour later, it extended five blocks.
By 2 p.m., thousands of flu shots had been administered as Kaiser Permanente patients descended upon the building, which was one of 17 locations, from Denver to Boulder, where the health-care provider made free vaccines available to its members.
All told, a record 51,970 flu shots were administered by Kaiser on Saturday, the first day vaccines were available to Kaiser members, exceeding last year’s first-day total by 20,000 shots.
Dr. Eric France, Kaiser Permanente’s chief of preventive care, attributes the record turnout to the pleasant fall weather and a heightened awareness of flu in general due to media stories about avian influenza, known as “bird flu.” The current vaccine is not effective for bird flu.
“Last year, after the supply initially seemed sufficient, we learned we didn’t have enough vaccine for the entire flu season, which probably brought more people out today as well,” he said.
Nancy Brock, 55, who received a shot with an elderly neighbor, said she doesn’t concern herself with bird-flu stories in the media.
“I don’t pay any attention to all that,” she said. “I had breast cancer, which makes me a high- risk person, so I came in to get the shot.”
Dr. France said providing 130,000 to 150,000 flu shots in 12 weeks is always challenging, but this season, which runs from November to April, is shaping up to be quite “boring.”
“This is the first time in four to five years it feels we will have a boring season,” he said. “Boring only because we have plenty of vaccine, and it has arrived on time.”
The row of cars quickly dissipated as the morning progressed, and by noon there was only a five- to 10-minute wait for a flu shot.
“I think a lot of people got here early because last year we ran out of shots,” said Lorrena Martinez, a registered nurse working the flu-shot drive.
Staff members at the Franklin building expedited the wait by offering a “drive-by” flu-shot service, which didn’t require patients to even get out of their vehicles.
All that was needed was a Kaiser Permanente ID, an open window and a rolled-up shirt sleeve.
The free flu shot for all Kaiser Permanente members will again be available for the drive- by service on Oct. 29, or patients can make an appointment by calling 303-338-4545 through December.
Staff writer Michael McCollum can be reached at 303-820-1201 or mmccollum@denverpost.com.
