(ONAWA, IA) - One hometown is giving flu-shots this fall, with a twist. Burgess Health Center in Onawa, IA had its annual drive-thru clinic Tuesday.

There is certainly better tailgate weather than 45 degrees and cloudy, but no matter the weather loyal "fans" will always show up. The nurses that braved the weather Tuesday are die-hard's about health. Tuesday's theme was "Tackling the flu."

"It's a great way to get people out, makes it very convenient for them," said Sue McLaughlin, Registered Nurse with Burgess Health Center. The drive through idea came a few years back, she explained. "We've done kind of a 50's theme with a soda fountain theme."

From Rams to Iowa State to West Monona, don't let the different jerseys fool you. These nurses are all on the same team. "I think it's just an attractive concept to people, that they don't have to get out of their cars, that they don't have to go through a lot of paperwork," explained Sharon Taylor, risk control manager and infection control coordinator at Burgess.

In the past as many as 170 people rolled through the line. This year, staff dropped the price for shots and even threw in a tailgate meal of hot dogs, chips, and water to attract as many people as possible. "It's preventable, by having a flu vaccine shot you can really prevent yourself from getting that upper respiratory flu," said McLaughlin.

Whether it was the hot dogs, chips, or friendly "car side" manner, the plan worked. Cars kept rolling through.

 

Reported by Jeremy Maskel. You can reach Jeremy at jmaskel@kmeg.com.