Community Corner

Bank Shot: Belmont Savings/Mt. Auburn Provides Free Flu Clinic

A second flu clinic will be held this afternoon from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the bank's main branch.

People entering the lobby of the main branch of Belmont Savings Bank in Belmont Center Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 16, were not seeking to make a deposit to their account.

Rather, a steady stream of residents were lining up to make a withdrawal from the vaccine bank as Belmont Savings teamed up with Mount Auburn Hospital to provide free flu shots to any healthy individual coming to the bank over two days.

"Step up," said Katherine Rafferty from the hospital's community affairs office as people wandered in the office at 2 Leonard St. 

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A second free flu clinic will occur this afternoon, Thursday, Jan. 17, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bank's Belmont Center location.

"Are you here for the flu shot?" added Mount Auburn Marketing Department's  Kelly McDade, as the two women handed out consent forms.

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The partnership between Mount Auburn and Belmont Savings came when the institution's CEO's – Jeanette Clough and Robert Mahoney – met to discuss out-reach and thought a flu clinic would be an effective way to serve the greater community, said Mike O'Connell, Mount Auburn's vice president of planning and marketing.

The clinc comes as several area chain pharmacies had run out of vaccine earlier in the week.

O'Connell said the hospital – whose employees were volunteering their time to run the clinic – brought 300 doses to the bank. As of 5:40 p.m., the clinic had dispensed nearly 200 injections, said staff members. 

Upstairs, two rooms had nurses administrating the vaccine. Belmont resident and nurse Kim Noone – the mother of the sporting Noone sisters at Belmont High School – sat down each person and had them roll up their shirt sleeves.

"OK, there. You're done," said Noone, after helping another resident to fight the flu. 


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