The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is hosting the second annual VaccinatioNCelebration flu shot clinic all day Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, to highlight North Carolinians’ production of the newest generation of flu vaccine.
The vaccine, Flucelvax Quadrivalent, is made at the $1 billion Seqirus biomanufacturing facility in Holly Springs from a cell culture process rather than the traditional growing of the key component in chicken eggs.
The process allows unusually high-speed, efficient vaccine production. It’s a result of nearly two decades of partnerships involving NCBiotech and other local, state and federal entities. The evolution of this vaccine involved three successive corporate owners of the new-generation technology (Chiron, Novartis, and now, Seqirus).
Only North Carolina had the convergence of talent, timing, funding and partnering to establish this game-changing factory and produce the world’s first quadrivalent flu vaccine from cell culture (a quadrivalent vaccine targets four strains of virus). It’s game changing because the cell culture process is faster than the traditional method of growing vaccines in poultry eggs, and it does not contain antibiotics or preservatives.
NCBiotech, in partnership with Seqirus, will host the VaccinatioNCelebration from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nurses from Triad Care will be at NCBiotech providing flu shots using the locally produced Flucelvax Quadrivalent vaccine for participants over the age of 4 years.
After their vaccination, participants will receive a sticker proclaiming, “I’m an NC Big Shot!” It’s like saying “I voted for flu prevention.”
Besides the flu shots and stickers, the VaccinatioNCelebration will feature food trucks, free mementos, and information about North Carolina’s role in this vaccine milestone.
Triad Care can file insurance claims with most medical insurance carriers, including AARP, ACS Benefit Services, Aetna, All Savers, BCBS, Cigna, Sheet Metal Workers of NC (Cigna), Coventry, Humana, Humana Medicare, Medcost, Meritain Health, Tricare/ChampVA, United American Insurance, UHC, UHC Medicare and UMR.
Interested participants not covered by one of the many insurance plans covered by Triad Care can still receive this next-generation flu shot for $35 using cash, check, credit or debit cards.
Anyone interested in getting a flu shot at the NCBiotech headquarters in the Research Triangle Park is encouraged to register for a time slot in advance here, to ensure adequate supplies of vaccine.
(C) N.C. Biotechnology Center
