Over the next several weeks, towns from North Providence to Scituate will offer free vaccine clinics, all in the name of public health preparedness. It's all part of a requirement that local communities test their health emergency response plans.

Health officials say they were inspired by a successful whooping cough clinic in Barrington, where residents lined up for vaccines in response to a recent outbreak. Now, other cities can protect against a potential spread of the disease and get credit for practicing their response plans at the same time.

Residents can get shots against whooping cough and the flu. The Department of Health has a complete schedule of the clinics on its website.

More details
Find the vaccine clinic in your city or town here.

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