Putnam Health Dept. schedules public flu vaccine clinics 

With students back in school and flu season approaching, the Putnam County Department of Health has scheduled three public flu vaccination clinics this fall while reminding parents to make sure children are up to date on required immunizations. 

The public flu clinics, open to Putnam County residents age 18 and older, will be held Sept. 28 and Oct. 19 at the Carmel Fire Department and Oct. 7 at the Garrison Fire Department. All three clinics will run from 2 to 6 p.m. 

The Health Department will also provide flu vaccinations at public schools throughout the county. Scheduling information for those clinics will be distributed by individual schools. 

“While flu vaccines and other childhood vaccines continue to be widely available throughout Putnam County at pharmacies and healthcare practices, our health department nurses will also be out in the community,” Public Health Director Rian Rodriquez said. 

Online registration for the public clinics is encouraged, although walk-ins will be accommodated. Residents with accessibility needs can request an in-vehicle vaccination at the Oct. 7 Garrison clinic or the Oct. 19 Carmel clinic when registering online. 

Health officials are also reminding families that New York State requires certain vaccinations for children attending school. Required vaccinations generally must be completed within the first 14 days of school, and officials recommend that parents consult their children's healthcare providers to make sure immunizations are current. 

The county's push comes amid renewed concern about measles and declining vaccination rates in some parts of the country. 

Putnam County recorded a measles case in June 2025 involving a person who contracted the disease while traveling abroad. County health officials said the case was contained through a rapid public health response that included outreach and vaccination when necessary. 

Measles, which was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, has since made a significant comeback. The University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported this summer that U.S. measles cases had reached a 35-year high. 

Health officials say maintaining high vaccination rates is particularly important with measles because the disease is highly contagious. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine childhood vaccinations as well as annual influenza vaccination for children beginning at 6 months of age, with appropriate consideration for individual medical circumstances. 

Registration and additional information about Putnam County's flu clinics are available through the county Department of Health. Information about childhood immunization programs is also available through the department. 

Vaccine resources 

• Putnam County flu clinics: putnamcountyny.gov/fluclinic 

• Putnam County childhood immunizations: putnamcountyny.gov/health/immunization 

• New York State Department of Health measles information: health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/measles/ 

• New York State 2026-27 school immunization requirements: health.ny.gov/publications/2370.pdf 

• Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy measles report: cidrap.umn.edu/measles/measles-cases-reach-35-year-high-us 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measles history: cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html 

• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health U.S. Measles Tracker: publichealth.jhu.edu/ivac/resources/us-measles-tracker 

Article provided by Putnam County Department of Health