North Texans are finally seeing signs of the approaching winter months. But with cooler temperatures come surges in respiratory viruses such as the flu.
The flu can be deadly. From Sept. 29, 2025, to Oct. 3, 2026, 10,345 Texans died from the flu or pneumonia, state data shows.
You can protect yourself against severe illness by getting vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu vaccines are adapted each year to target the strains of the virus anticipated to be most common and harmful.
Why does the flu surge in colder months?
When humidity decreases during fall and winter, droplets released from coughs or sneezes hang around in the air longer, allowing viruses to spread further, according to the Mayo Clinic. Microscopic, hairlike projections from cells in your upper respiratory tract — called cilia — that work to clear unwanted particles out of your nose do not work as well when it is cooler and drier. People may also spend more time indoors when temperatures drop.
A vaccine may not always prevent you from feeling symptoms of a virus completely, but it can lessen the impact.
Here is where to find free or low-cost flu vaccines in Tarrant County:
Texas Health Resources free flu vaccines
Available to those ages 9 and older.
Oct. 20
3-6 p.m.
Ash Lane United Methodist Church
1001 W. Ash Lane
Euless
Oct. 21
4:30-6:30 p.m.
East Library and Recreation Center
1817 New York Ave.
Arlington
Oct. 24
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Christ’s Haven Fall Festival
4200 Keller Haslet Road
Keller
Oct. 24
1-4 p.m.
St. Philip Presbyterian Church
745 W. Pipeline Road
Hurst
Oct. 25
5-7 p.m.
St. Andrews United Methodist Church
2045 SE Green Oaks Blvd.
Arlington
Nov. 7
9:30 a.m.-noon
RCCG Lighthouse of the Nations
711 E. Broad St.
Mansfield
Oct. 24
10 a.m.-noon
The Church at Philadelphia
4716 Wichita St.
Fort Worth
Oct. 26
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Grace Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church
4200 E. Berry St.
Fort Worth
Oct. 29
6-8 p.m.
Diamond Hill Community Center
1700 NW 37th St.
Fort Worth
Nov. 3
10 a.m.-noon
New Birth Christian Fellowship
8466 Camp Bowie West Blvd.
Fort Worth
Tarrant County Public Health immunization clinics
Those seeking a vaccine can walk in at any immunization clinic location until 4 p.m., based on availability. Vaccines are available at all Tarrant County Public Health immunization clinics through the spring for adults and children who are uninsured, underinsured, or on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Plan. The cost for those uninsured is $35 for adults and $10 for children. TCPH also offers other low-cost options.
Fort Worth – Main Campus
1101 S. Main St.
Fort Worth
8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
Closed from noon-1 p.m.
Arlington – Cooper Street
2920 S. Cooper St.
Arlington
8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
Closed from noon-1 p.m.
Fort Worth – Granbury Road
6551 Granbury Road
Fort Worth
8 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m.
Closed from 1-2 p.m.
Fort Worth – Miller Avenue
3212 Miller Ave.
Fort Worth
8 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m.
Closed from 1-2 p.m.
Lake Worth
3800 Adam Grubb Road
Lake Worth
8 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m.
Closed from 1-2 p.m.
Watauga
6601 Watauga Road, Suite 122
Watauga
8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
Closed from noon-1 p.m.
McKinnon Rice is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Her position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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