As flu season gets underway, there are plenty of options — many of them free — for Anchorage residents who want to get a flu shot.
Last flu season saw a dramatic increase in confirmed cases, according to the Alaska Division of Public Health. In January alone, nearly 1,300 cases of flu were confirmed, most of them in Anchorage. Local clinics have already been treating patients for flu this season.
“The first and most important step in preventing flu is to get a flu vaccination each year,” the Division of Public Health says.
Free flu shot clinics
The Anchorage Health Department offers dozens of free clinics through early December. All clinics are open to the public, the vaccinations are provided at no cost and insurance is not required.
• Sept. 26: Anchorage School District Maintenance and Nutrition Center, 1301 Labar St. in Anchorage, 12-4 p.m.
• Sept. 27: Anchorage School District Education Center, 5530 E. Northern Lights Blvd. in Anchorage, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Sept. 28: Girdwood Library, 250 Egloff Drive, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Oct. 1: Mears Middle School, 2700 W. 100th Ave. in Anchorage, 1:45-5 p.m.
• Oct. 2: Loussac Library, 3600 Denali St. in Anchorage, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Oct. 3: Spenard Recreation Center, 2020 W. 48th Ave. in Anchorage, 2-6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 4: Mirror Lake Middle School, 22901 Lake Hill Drive in Chugiak, 2-5 p.m.
• Oct. 8: Rabbit Creek Elementary, 13650 Lake Otis Parkway in Anchorage, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 10: Taku Elementary, 701 E. 72nd Ave. in Anchorage, 3-5:30 p.m.
• Oct. 11: Wonder Park Elementary, 5101 E. Fourth Ave. in Anchorage, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
• Oct. 12: Anchor Park United Methodist Church, 2300 Oak Drive in Anchorage, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Oct. 15: Northern Lights ABC Elementary, 2424 E. Dowling Road in Anchorage, 12-4 p.m.
• Oct. 16: Girdwood Library, 250 Egloff Drive, 2:30-7 p.m.
• Oct. 17: Mountain View Library, 120 Bragaw St. in Anchorage, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Oct. 19: Muldoon Library, 1251 Muldoon Road, Suite 158, in Anchorage, 12-5 p.m.
• Oct. 22: Creekside Park Elementary, 7500 E. Sixth Ave. in Anchorage, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
• Oct. 23: Service High School, 5577 Abbott Road in Anchorage, 12-6 p.m.
• Oct. 23: Eagle River High School, 8701 Yosemite Drive, 12-3 p.m.
• Oct. 24: Sand Lake Elementary, 7500 Jewel Lake Road in Anchorage, 12-4:30 p.m.
• Oct. 24: Homestead Elementary, 18001 Baronoff Ave. in Eagle River, 12-4:30 p.m.
• Oct. 29: Rilke Schule German School, 1846 E. 64th Ave. in Anchorage, 3-5:30 p.m.
• Oct. 30: Willow Crest Elementary, 1004 W. Tudor Road in Anchorage, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
• Nov. 1: Airport Heights Elementary, 1510 Alder Drive in Anchorage, 3-6 p.m.
• Nov. 5: South High School, 13400 Elmore Road in Anchorage, 1-4:30 p.m.
• Nov. 6: Chugiak High School, 16525 S. Birchwood Loop Road, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Nov. 7: Russian Jack Elementary, 4300 E. 20th Ave. in Anchorage, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 8: East High School, 4025 E. Northern Lights Blvd. in Anchorage, 7-11:30 a.m.
• Nov. 12: Hanshew Middle School, 10121 Lake Otis Parkway in Anchorage, 2:45-4:45 p.m.
• Nov. 13: Baxter Elementary, 2991 Baxter Road in Anchorage, 2-5 p.m.
• Nov. 14: Eagle River Library, 12001 Business Blvd., Suite 176, 1-5 p.m.
• Nov. 15: Bowman Elementary, 11700 Gregory Road in Anchorage, 2-5 p.m.
• Nov. 18: Williwaw Elementary, 1200 San Antonio St. in Anchorage, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
• Nov. 19: Tudor Elementary, 1666 Cache Drive in Anchorage, 2:30-5:30 p.m.
• Nov. 20: Rogers Park Elementary, 1400 E. Northern Lights Blvd. in Anchorage, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
• Nov. 22: Gladys Wood Elementary, 7001 Cranberry St. in Anchorage, 3-6 p.m.
• Nov. 25: Campbell STEM Elementary, 7206 Rovenna St. in Anchorage, 2-6 p.m.
• Nov. 26: Kincaid Elementary, 4900 Raspberry Road in Anchorage, 2:30-5 p.m.
• Dec. 3: Nunaka Valley Elementary, 1905 Twining Drive in Anchorage, 3-6 p.m.
• Dec. 5: Chugiak Elementary, 19932 Old Glenn Highway, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Free drive-up clinics
Alaska Regional Hospital is offering free drive-up flu shot clinics at their C Building parking lot at 2801 DeBarr Road. No appointments are necessary, and the hospital asks that people drive through the clinic and not walk up. The clinics will be 5:30-8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 24
• Thursday, Oct. 3
• Wednesday, Oct. 9
More options
Pharmacies at stores including Carrs, Costco, Fred Meyer, the CVS at Target, Walgreens and Walmart also offer the flu vaccine. Some insurance plans cover the cost of an annual flu shot, but without insurance, the vaccine could cost from around $20 to more than $40.