To help alleviate and prevent the disease's spread, the 126th Street Medical Center, a private practice in Ocean City, Md., offers a convenient way to get vaccinated.

The reason for the continual infectious nature of influenza, unlike more easily controlled diseases like smallpox and polio, is that the virus easily mutates into variant strains.

Major outbreaks have largely been contained in recent years because of the availability of cheaper, more advanced vaccine stocks. Vaccines are varied from year to year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in anticipation of the strains that may spread each season. It is recommended that the public be vaccinated annually.

At particular risk are people with respiratory or coronary ailments, the elderly, children (especially those with athsma), and immuno-compromised people.

Dr. Victor Gong, the clinic's medical director, conceived the idea six years ago in order to inoculate as many people as possible without having to cram people into his office.

Iris Fink, an administrator with the 126th Street Medical Center in Ocean City, has been in charge of the practice's flu shot program for the past four years. "It's my pet, my baby," she said while making preparations for the first day of drive-through shots on Sept. 28.

Drivers can pull into the clinic's lot, fill out a brief information form, in a couple of minutes get their shot and be on their way. The cost is $24 (but free to Medicare patients, police officers, firefighters and paramedics).

The success of the program in the past has led to traffic problems and complaints by neighboring businesses, Fink said, "but we work extra hard each year to make this go smoothly."

So popular is the service that last year the clinic was able to raise approximately $5,000 for a World Trade Center victim's fund.

"We had a great turnout that day," Fink recalled. Ocean City Mayor Jim Mathias even showed up riding in a fire engine for his shot.

"We run it very smoothly, and get better each year at it," said Fink.

Precautions are taken to prevent infections, and medical personnel will be standing by should anyone feel faint or have a reaction to the shot. Walk-up patients are also welcome.

Drive-through flu shots will be offered on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 126th Street Medical Center. Call (410) 250-8000 for more information.

Reach John Duffy at (302) 537-1881, ext. 106, or by e-mail at jduffy@smgpo.gannett.com.

Originally published Wednesday, October 2, 2002