As the cold and flu season starts, the University of Utah is preparing to host its annual effort to keep members of the community healthy.

From Oct. 12-23, university employees can bring family members and loved ones to one of several drive-thru health clinics scheduled across the Salt Lake Valley. Vaccines are available for anyone 6 months and older and are administered by Community Nursing Services (CNS).

“We started doing the drive-thru events to make it easy for employees and their families to bring everybody in the car,” said Wendy Poppleton, University of Utah Human Resources benefits director. “It’s a flu and COVID clinic. HR employees direct traffic and give out treats.”

The clinics will take place at Rice-Eccles Stadium (Oct. 12 and Oct. 16), Centerville City offices (Oct. 13), Sandy Center (Oct. 19) and West Valley City Hall (Oct. 23). See full details.

“Community members can come by as well because CNS just will bill insurance, so anybody can come,” Poppleton said.

“For employees, you’d show your UID and your health plan ID card,” she noted. “You fill out a little form for everybody in the vehicle and drive forward a little ways and stick out your arms.”

She said the idea for the drive-thru clinics came from the U’s population health team that was reviewing data in an attempt to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. The conclusion was that getting vaccinations and keeping people healthy.

Events such as the vaccine clinics can help mitigate the rising cost of employee health insurance premiums, she added. University employees also have an additional vaccination option through the RedMed Employee Health Clinic located on the main level of the A. Ray Olpin Student Union.