Pharmacist offers help getting flu and Covid vaccines

Chester residents Samir and Hetal Shah have offered flu or covid vaccines to anyone who has difficulty getting theirs. As owners of K & K Pharmacy in Liberty, they have provided clinics in Sullivan County and visited homes to provide vaccinations. They also want to offer their services closer to home.

Their offer comes at a time when flu incidence in Orange County is five times what it was at this time last year, according to Orange County Health Commissioner Alicia Pointer. Samir noted CDC findings of 40 to 60% decrease in the incidence of flu illness for those vaccinated. When people who are vaccinated do get the flu, it tends to be less severe.

“While many restrictions have been lifted for Covid, the novel virus still poses a significant risk in the senior community and immunocompromised,” said Samir. “In Orange County, there is an incidence of 80 new cases per day as of Oct 23. The new Covid bivalent vaccine has the advantage of covering the Omicron variant as well.”

The Shahs say they see many people unable to get to a vaccination site or they have trouble scheduling a vaccination, and this is where they can help. To contact them, call K & K Pharmacy at 845-292-3430 or email them at kandkpharmacy@gmail.com