The hospital cited a number of reasons, including scheduling issues that would have pushed the event well into November, several weeks after most flu shot clinics in the area would offer the shots.
Hospital officials said the drive at that time would likely not be as effective in serving the community.
Officials also pointed to the great expansion of sites around the metropolitan area offering low cost flu shots in convenient settings for weeks before the hospital could schedule its event.
When the hospital began holding the drive-thru flu event in 1993, there were very few public flu shot clinics and almost no free flu shot clinics.
The uniqueness of the event was noted by media as far away as New Zealand. Public flu shot clinics are widely available in the metropolitan area now at moderate prices.
The program will be re-evaluated for 2014.
In order to continue to serve the people of Wyandotte County, the hospital will donate flu shots to El Centro’s Healthy Family Health Fair in October.
