Preparing for flu season this winter is easier than ever at the free drive-thru flu vaccine clinic to be held by MetroWest Physician Services Friday, Sept. 23, from 1 to 6 p.m at its 260 Cochituate Rd.

Vaccine recipients can drive in to the parking lot, where they will be greeted by MetroWest Physician Services staff. After displaying their health-insurance card and signing a consent form, they can roll down their window, roll up their sleeve and get their annual flu shot, administered by a registered nurse, without leaving their car.

MetroWest Physician Services doctors will also be on hand at the event to answer questions relating to the vaccine and flu.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 5 to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized annually from seasonal flu-related complications.

“Flu vaccinations are an important part of preventive care, especially as the weather turns cooler and we spend more time in close quarters,” said Scott Disch, director of MetroWest Physician Services. “The flu does not discriminate—young and old, it affects us all, vaccination is a safe and easy way to keep your family healthy this season.”

All MetroWest Physician Services doctors are affiliated with MetroWest Medical Center, located at Framingham Union Hospital in Framingham and Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick.