Camden County clinic sees lines out the door for vaccines as flu season begins

VOORHEES, New Jersey (WPVI) -- The line was out the door at the Voorhees Town Center on Wednesday as senior citizens lined up for their flu shots during Camden County's annual health fair.

"I got here early and a lot of people came early. So it was a little bit of a wait. About 150 people got here before I did," said Kingsley Smith from Lindenwold.

"I had the flu about 10 years ago," explained Pat Witcher from Lindenwold as she waited in line. "And I was not happy. I was very uncomfortable. So every year since then, I get a flu shot."

This is the first of 13 flu shot clinics the county plans to offer this fall.

When they receive their shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, they'll offer them too, but they're still waiting.

"It's on back order," said Paschal Nwako, a Camden County health officer. "Being that we don't have it, we are waiting for it and then whenever we have it, we give it to the public."

Doctors that Action News spoke with are encouraging people to get their flu and COVID shots now as cold and flu season gets underway.

"We are seeing an uptick in COVID right now across the region as well as across the country," said Vice President of Clinical Operations for Emergency Services at Virtua Health, Dr. Dennis Guest. "So this newer vaccine covers the new variants that we're seeing."

CDC guidance says it is safe to give flu, COVID, and RSV vaccines simultaneously, especially if the patient may have trouble making it to multiple appointments.

But if patients or doctors are concerned about side effects, spacing the vaccines is an option, too.

"If you have experienced symptoms in the past and you're concerned about that, then you can opt to separate the vaccines," said Dr. Delana Wardlaw, a physician with Temple Health. "But timing is key here because we're in the middle of flu season."

The bottom line is this: if you're unsure, ask your doctor.

On Wednesday, Moderna announced promising results from early trials for its combination flu/COVID-19 vaccine. Officials hope to have the vaccine ready for approval and distribution by the 2025 flu season.