MIT Health flu clinic now requires appointments
Previous flu clinics allowed walk-ins
Vivian Hir–The Tech
This year, MIT Health flu clinics are by appointment only; all appointments must be made 48 hours in advance. The campus clinic is from Sept. 22 to Oct. 10 in Building E23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., whereas the Lincoln Laboratory clinic is from Oct. 20 to Oct. 23 in AC-120 and AC-122 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
No walk-in appointments are available this year, and patients must provide their health insurance information when making an appointment. Eligible patients include all MIT ID holders and MIT Health patients ages 18 and older. The flu vaccine is trivalent and protects against two strains of influenza A and one strain of influenza B. COVID-19 vaccines are not available at the clinics.
In prior years, MIT Health held walk-in flu clinics. In 2024, the flu clinic took place from Oct. 7 to Oct. 10 in Walker Memorial, and eligible members older than six months could get the vaccine.
According to Marketing & Communications Director David Tytell, MIT Health decided to offer flu vaccinations by appointment instead of walk-ins this year due to a steady decrease in drop-in flu clinic attendance since 2019, when MIT Health vaccinated about 10,000 individuals in the walk-in clinic. In 2024, just over 5,000 individuals received a vaccine. This year, as of Oct. 3, MIT Health plans to administer about 4,500 vaccines.
In a statement to The Tech, Tytell stated that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the MIT Health flu clinic was “the easiest way for the MIT community to be immunized.” However, after the pandemic, many pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, including the CVS in Kendall Square, began to offer flu vaccines. “For many members of the MIT community, we are no longer the most convenient pathway,” Tytell wrote. Regardless, Tytell recommended receiving the flu vaccination this fall at the flu clinic or a retail pharmacy.
MIT Health plans to hold flu clinics by appointment only in future years as well, as the model provides patients flexibility when scheduling and is more efficient for staff.