With flu shot supply still limited on the Vineyard, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital announced on Wednesday that an Islandwide flu clinic would be held on Nov. 7 at the regional high school, available to all Islanders with no out-of-pocket costs.

“Flu shots this year are really vital because of the close mimicking of Covid, and just because of the threat of Covid,” hospital president and CEO Denise Schepici said at a press briefing Wednesday morning. “We’re pleased that this will come to fruition.”

The clinic will be held at the regional high school from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, hospital head of nursing and chief operating officer Claire Seguin said at the briefing. The clinic will be available to anyone on the Island on a first-come, first-served basis, according to officials.

Patients are encouraged to bring their insurance cards for reference, Ms. Seguin said.

“The clinic is available to anyone on the island,” Ms. Seguin said. “There will be no out of pocket expense for the flu shot. One’s insurance will cover it.”

The clinic, which has been in the works for weeks but had not been formally announced until Wednesday, is a collaborative effort among the hospital, Island Health Care — a federally qualified community health center — and the Island boards of health. The hospital has been adamant about encouraging Islanders to receive flu vaccinations this year because of the threat of Covid-19.

Flu shots are also required by the Baker administration for students who plan to return to in-person learning.

But demand for flu  shots has outpaced supply so far on the Island, with phones ringing off the hook at pharmacies and the small amount of available vaccine shots drying up fast.

On Wednesday, hospital officials said that they had vaccinated 3,240 people for the flu since Sept. 1, most of them hospital primary care patients on the Island.

“The flu shot is so important during Covid,” Ms. Seguin said. “It keeps people out of the hospital from flu admission, and we know that it protects us from getting the flu. We also know that the symptoms of the flu are a lot like the symptoms of Covid-19. So by vaccinating lots of people we kind of rule that one out.”

The clinic will have 1,250 regular dosage shots available for Islanders, made available through a partnership between the hospital and IHC. High-dose shots — for people age 65 and older — will not be available at the clinic. Ms. Seguin said having two different shots complicates the clinic logistically, making it harder to quickly usher through patients.

Because of Covid-19 precautions, patients will have to fill out a vaccine registration and consent form before receiving their shot. The form will be available on town websites in the upcoming days.

Ms. Seguin also said drivers should not go directly to the high school, but instead to one of two staging areas that will be announced by the Island boards of health. There will also be an option for those without cars to walk up to the clinic at the high school.

Since May, the high school performing arts parking lot has been home to a unique, public-private Covid-19 testing partnership between IHC, Quest Diagnostics and the Island boards of health called TestMV. More than 17,000 patients have been tested for the virus at the site, which functions similarly to a flu clinic.

Ms. Seguin felt that from past experience the 1,250 shots would be enough to cover the demand on Nov. 7.

“We should be able to get everyone,” she said.

Hospital officials also warned about a recent rise in Covid-19 case numbers throughout the state, noting an increase in statewide hospitalizations, repeating the refrain to stay vigilant.

“We continue to see an upsurge in cases of Covid and Massachusetts in the Northeast,” Ms. Schepici said. “I know I sound like a broken record. But . . . if we wash our hands, wear masks and keep social distance, we can continue to keep this thing at bay.”

Ms. Schepici also said adequate shelter had not yet been found for the homeless community this winter, despite an influx of funds and a social service community that has been galvanized to address the issue. The Island’s Houses of Grace shelter program was forced to close due to Covid, leaving more than a dozen homeless individuals without winter shelter.

“This is not only a public health issue, but is one that is an issue of Islandwide importance for the quality of life of our residents on Martha’s Vineyard,” Ms. Schepici said. “We need a sustainable plan for our most vulnerable Islanders.”

Officials ended the briefing by saying that those who chose to trick-or-treat this Halloween do so with safety precautions in mind.

“The Halloween mask doesn’t count,” Ms. Schepici said. “You have to have a double mask.”