But a record for flu shots?
The Lehigh Valley Health Network is attempting a shot at the Guinness title.
During the first week of November, Lehigh Valley will hold two drive-thru flu vaccination sessions, one at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and another at the Coca-Cola Park minor-league baseball venue. The health network has actually run drive-thru flu-shot clinics for five years, but this is the first attempt at a world record, says Terry Burger, director of infection control and prevention.
“We figured it might be something fun to strive for,” Burger says.
There’s already a Guinness World Record for the most vaccinations given in an eight-hour period — 6,215 people vaccinated in San Diego on Oct. 2, to be exact. But Lehigh Valley is shooting for a record of the most shots given in 24 hours. Given that it vaccinated about 10,000 people against the flu in six hours last year, Burger said that feat should be doable on at least one day this year.
Getting a shot isnt hard, Burger says. Just drive up, get your car in line and be ready to bare your arm (or the leg of any child younger than 2). If you want, bring a non-perishable food item for a local food bank. Things will move more quickly if you register online in advance and bring a completed consent form. But registration isnt required. And the shots are all free.
Burger suggests that anyone older than 6 months get vaccinated against the flu, whether or not it’s part of a Guinness attempt. This year’s vaccine includes both the seasonal and H1N1 flu viruses, she adds.
Source: Terry Burger, Lehigh Valley Health Network
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen