According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 children have died from flu-related illnesses this year -- four of them in North Texas.
Those staggering statistics inspired many parents to bring their children to MyChildren's Primary Care in Garland Monday to be vaccinated. The medical office teamed up with the Dallas County Health Department to vaccinate hundreds of kids and their parents for free.
"Children get really sick fast with the flu and the flu is a serious illness. It's not like a cold," said Laurie Holloway, with Children's Medical Center. "We've been seeing really high volumes in our emergency department for a while now and we're doing everything we can to try and keep people out of the emergency room and flu shots are a great way to do that."
The clinic said not only are parents taking advantage of the shots because they are free, but the limited supply of vaccines in Dallas County pharmacies and doctors' offices has given them more reason to come in.
By the end of they day Monday, the clinic had only used about 200 of their 800 vaccinations. The remaining 600 will be available to parents and children throughout the week. The shots are available on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone requesting one, whether or not they are a Dallas County resident.
NBC 5's Kendra Lyn contributed to this report.
