It was all in the interest of community health.

Free flu shots were the order of the day for area residents who dropped by the Manteca Senior Center Wednesday morning thanks to the generosity of Doctors Hospital of Manteca.

People of all ages took advantage of the free flu shots. Besides hospital staffers there were a couple of therapy dogs to soothe the anxiety of those getting their shots. On hand from the hospital included recently retired Dr. Katie Marconi, Pharm.D. She supervised the hospital pharmacy department for years taking care of patient needs along with other staff members.

There were fewer residents that took advantage of Wednesday’s offering. Several DHM nurses expected a larger turn out.  There were over 300 people lined up last year and it appeared only about 200 would be getting the shots this year.

Dr. Marconi said the lower count could be due to the number of drug stores already offering the injections to their customers during the summer months.  Those earlier injections could partially wear off by the time the serious flu season comes upon the region, she noted.

In addition to the nurses on duty there were several members of the hospital volunteer group in the room aiding residents signing in for their injections and making sure they found the right spots in line.  The clinic appeared to run very smoothly.

Several police officers took advantage of the clinic as did uniformed clerical personnel who used a portion of their morning break to run next door to the center only a number of steps from the police department offices. 

Several therapy dogs from “Paws 4 Friends” were brought by their handlers to welcome the seniors who were coming through the front door of the facility. “Paws 4 Friends” is part of a national organization with its mission to brighten the day of patients across the country that welcome the canines when they see them coming through the doors of their rooms.