During the State Fair, which begins Thursday, folks who get vaccinations at the Health Horizons Pavilion in South Wing B will get unlimited ride wristbands, courtesy of the Kentucky Association of Health Plans.?

Vaccine recipients will also get the chance to win bonus rides, food vouchers and $25 gift cards from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.?

The fair runs August 17-27 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville at 937 Phillips Lane.?

This is the third year the association has held the pop-up vaccine clinic in an effort to bolster immunization in the state. Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap), flu and other shots will be available.

The giveaway will last as long as supplies do.?

Kentucky is one of the lower vaccinated states, according to World Population Review, with 59% fully vaccinated. As of May, around 11% had received booster shots.?

“We have seen an alarming trend with fewer Kentucky children receiving Tdap vaccines, which protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis,” said Tom Stephens, the President & CEO of Kentucky Association of Health Plans.?

Additionally, a recent outbreak of the highly contagious whooping cough in Lexington “is something that should concern us all,” Stephens said.?

“Children, pregnant women, newborns and those around other medically vulnerable people are most at risk,” Stephens said. “It is vaccine-preventable, so we are urging folks to stay up to date on their shots.”?

Free health screenings?

Fair attendees can also get free health screenings at the Kentucky Cancer Program booth in South Wing B every day during the fair, courtesy of UofL Health.?

Kentucky has high rates of death by cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Getting screenings can help, according to the National Cancer Institute, because they can reveal the disease early and make it easier to treat.?

Here are the free services UofL will offer during the Kentucky State Fair:?

• Mammography screening: Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m –5 p.m. (must have a medical provider)
• Skin cancer education and screening: Daily, 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (closed 1-1:30 p.m.)
• Prostate cancer screening with PSA blood test: Aug. 17, 19, 20, 22, 26, and 27, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

UofL will also give daily prizes to folks who get the most likes on photos posted to Facebook from the booth. Use hashtags?#KCP, #KCPIS40 or #KCPSTATEFAIR to enter.