OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital is offering free flu shots to the parents and close family contacts of its established patients.

The "Free Vaccine for Parents Cocooning Project" is intended to protect OHSU Doernbecher's youngest and most vulnerable patients. Babies younger than 6 months, for example, cannot receive the flu vaccine. The next best means of protection is to "cocoon" the infants, or insulate them from infection, by immunizing their family members.

Providing free vaccine to pediatric patients' close contacts is a key infection prevention strategy, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, but Judith Guzman-Cottrill, D.O., pediatric medical director of OHSU Doernbecher's Infection Prevention and Control program, conducted a national survey that revealed less than half the U.S. children's hospitals she polled vaccinated their patients' families free of charge.

OHSU Doernbecher’s "Free Vaccine for Parents" campaign for its established patients and their families has now been running for several years. Funded by the OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation, the campaign is organized and executed by a group of OHSU Doernbecher pediatric residents who work together with nurses, students, pharmacists and physicians to deliver as many vaccines as possible to our community.

The workgroup hopes that this pioneering work may become the standard of care for children's hospital nationwide.

Flu vaccine criteria

• Family members must be 18 or older to qualify for free vaccine.
• Family members will be screened for flu vaccine contraindications, a condition for which the flu vaccine may harmful to the patient, prior to vaccination.

Flu vaccine dates and hours

The free flu vaccination clinic is now closed for the season. Please check back for free flu shot availability at OHSU Doernbecher in fall 2018.