Recordpub.com - 2nd high-risk H1N1 vaccination clinic is Saturday in Kent

Photo from the Portage County Health Department Iris Earle, 2, gets the H1N1 nasal spray vaccine while being held by her mother, Angie Earle, both of Brimfield, at the high-risk clinic Saturday at Ravenna Elks Lodge. Iris received the nasal mist from Jennifer Lynde, a member of Portage County local health departments’ vaccination team. Flu Mist is available for people between the ages of 2 and 49 with no chronic health conditions and who are not pregnant. The next high-risk clinic is Saturday at the Kent State University Field House near Dix Stadium.

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

Portage County’s local health departments have set another high-risk clinic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Kent State University Field House near Dix Stadium.

The clinic will target people ages 64 and younger with chronic conditions and all healthy people ages 6 months to 24 years.

This is the second clinic for groups at high risk for the H1N1 flu. Nearly 1,400 people were vaccinated at the first clinic, held Nov. 14 at the Ravenna Elks Club. Of that total, 275 were children. Of the older recipients, 500 received the Flu Mist nasal spray and 614 received injections.

Thanking the Elks Club for its assistance, DuWayne Porter, Portage County health commissioner, said, “We are very grateful to have these community leaders who are willing to lend a helping hand.”

The high-risk groups eligible for the Saturday clinic include: pregnant women, caretakers and household contacts of infants under 6 months old, people ages 6 months to 24 years, people ages 64 years and younger who have chronic health conditions and health care and EMS workers with direct patient contact.

While waiting in line at the clinic, people will be asked a series of questions to screen for eligibility.

To decrease overall wait times, families with children will be moved to a separate line. Individuals will be offered either the nasal spray or shot of H1N1 vaccine. The line for nasal spray will move the fastest.

The health departments are discouraging people from arriving in advance of the clinic. No early birds will be taken.

There is no cost for the vaccine.

People are encouraged to pre-register, which helps speed up the paperwork process. Pre-registration may be done at www.h1n1vaccine.odh.ohio.gov, which is the Ohio Department of Health’s Web site.

Local health departments are continuing the series of school-based clinics for school-aged children. These clinics do not include preschool children, Porter explained.

“We feel that children younger than kindergarten should have their parents or guardian present during vaccinations. We had anticipated that physicians would have vaccine at the same time that we began school-based clinics. In this way, children under the age of 5 would have a way of getting the H1N1 vaccine. In the meantime, we encourage parents to use the high-risk clinics” including the one at the KSU Field House.

According to the state health department, Porter said, doctors who previously registered as H1N1 vaccine providers should get vaccine for their young patients the week of Thanksgiving.

Porter said the vaccine supply has been improving slightly.

“So far each week we have received a little more vaccine. This has allowed us to schedule the high-risk clinics in addition to holding school-based clinics and day care clinics,” Porter said.