Medora flu clinic to accommodate 700+

The Jackson County Health Department has received an additional supply of the H1N1 flu vaccine and is changing the location of one of its scheduled flu clinics to reach residents in the western part of the county.

Lin Montgomery, public health coordinator, said Friday the department will hold a “community clinic” beginning at 9 a.m. Nov. 21 in the Medora Schools’ cafeteria. The clinic will take place during the annual Medora Christmas Festival.

It will replace a clinic previously scheduled for the same day at the health department’s office in Seymour.

“It gives us a chance to bolster the festival and make the vaccine available to the western part of the county,” Montgomery said of the clinic.

At past clinics, personnel have administered between 300 and 400 vaccinations. Medora’s clinic will double that amount.

“We have received an adequate amount of vaccine to go out into the county and will be prepared to give 700 to 800 at that time,” Montgomery said.

The clinic will be a “walk-in, first come, first served” event, she added.

According to the Web site at https://sites.google.com /site/jacksoncountyhealth department/, the clinic is for otherwise healthy Jackson County youth ages 4  to 24 and their immediate family members.

Both the nasal mist and injection vaccine will be available. There is no charge for the vaccine.

Montgomery said it was only a matter of time before the supply of vaccine increased. “We knew the vaccine would catch up to the demand, we just weren’t certain when,” she said.

Clinic hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but staff will continue to administer the vaccine until they run out or there is no one there to receive it.

A clinic taking place at the health department today will continue to target people age 4 to 24.

“They are still the age group that is getting hit the hardest,” Montgomery said.

However, other target groups, including pregnant women or those with chronic illness, are welcome to come too, she added.

“We encourage them to attend if they have not already received the vaccine,” Montgomery said.

Four hundred doses will be available.

The department is also working to offer the vaccine by appointment. “We anticipate having a nurse at the health department on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to administer the vaccine by appointment only,” she said. “We will be offering that service through December.”

She said the department will set up a separate telephone number for people to call to make those appointments.
“We want the community to know that we are working on this and we thank them for their patience,” she said.

Also in December, Montgomery said she is working to set up all-day Saturday clinics at the Shoppes at Seymour Outlet Center.

“We are looking at having larger clinics there to utilize that facility, especially during bad weather,” she said. “It will just depend on vaccine availability.”