A free immunization clinic is set Nov. 16 at Northside Baptist Church.

From 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Dallas County Health Department will distribute approximately 2,500 flu shots.

Aside from helping to ensure the health of local residents, there’s another purpose for the clinic.

According to Stacey Adams, the health department’s community development and outreach coordinator, the free clinic is a partnership between the health department and local agencies to offer a valuable health service and “to exercise an emergency preparedness plan for mass vaccinations.”

Dallas County is one of only two counties in the state that are implementing a mass dispensing site exercise in preparation for the next flu pandemic. (Baldwin County is the other).

Next week’s clinic will help officials prepare for mass immunizations in the event of such an occurrence.

Local agencies- including Dallas County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department and the Selma Police Department – will practice its emergency protocols during the clinic.

While there are currently no reported flu cases in Dallas County, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared.

Officials say the best way to prevent the flu is to get your flu shot annually.

If you’ve ever suffered through a case of the flu, you know it’s worth the approximately 15 minutes that it will take to receive the immunization.

For more information, call the Dallas County Health Department at (334) 874-2550.