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H1N1 vaccinations clinics up and running
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| By: Mark J. Crawford, Editor |
October 23, 2009 |
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H1N1 vaccination clinics have begun at the Bradford and Union county health departments for those most at risk for flu and flu complications, according to Winifred Holland, health department director.
The Starke clinics are taking place at the health department on Tuesday evenings from 6-9 p.m., Thursday mornings from 8-11 a.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.¬-3 p.m.
In Lake Butler, the clinics are taking place at the health department on Tuesday mornings from 8-11 a.m., Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
(Those with private physicians should check with their health care providers.)
Holland anticipates the clinics will run through February or March. The vaccinations are free, paid for completely by the federal government. The health department doesn't have to spend any of its own money on the vaccination campaign.
The in-school clinics for H1N1, also known as swine flu, will not be initiated until November, because the county hasn't received enough of the vaccine yet to go into the schools and vaccinate students. School health nurses will be helping coordinate the vaccinations in conjunction with the schools.
As Holland said a few weeks ago, vaccination is voluntary, and parents or guardians will have to sign consent forms before their children are vaccinated. She did mention the importance of vaccinating them though.
High-risk groups being encouraged to seek vaccinations include pregnant women, caregivers of infants less than six months of age, children and young adults between the age of 2 and 24, people with chronic illnesses between 25 and 64 years of age at risk of flu-related complications, and health care workers.
Holland said there have been illnesses in the schools and physicians have been seeing a number of patients, but because H1N1 has become so widespread, confirmation tests for H1N1 are only being run on those who become hospitalized.
Bradford hasn't seen as much infection as other counties, she said.
Currently, the health department is out of vaccine for seasonal flu, but Holland said there should be more of that by November. (There is a cost for these shots.) Other providers in the county may also have the vaccine.
That and other updates will likely be flashed on the health department's new electronic sign in Starke. Holland said the department is excited about the sign, which should help inform the community and raise awareness of the health department's location on U.S. 301 north of the Bradford Motel.
H1N1 funding is also paying for the sign as well as overtime hours incurred by employees working the vaccination clinics.
For more information, please contact the Bradford County Health Department at 904-964-7732 or the Union County Health Department at 386-496-3211.
Fighting the flu: What you should know
The Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control has recommended that, as always, people with respiratory illnesses should stay home from work or school to avoid spreading infections to others in the community.
Avoid close contact with people who are coughing or otherwise appear ill. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Wash your hands frequently to lessen the spread of respiratory illness.
People with cough, fever and fatigue, possibly with diarrhea and vomiting, should contact their physician.
If you think you have influenza, officials say, call your health care provider and discuss whether you need to be seen in their office or emergency department or stay home.
Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food and a person cannot get swine influenza from eating pork products. The infections are spread from person to person.
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©Bradford County Telegraph 2009
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