Vaccines now available in Montgomery County
From the Leaf Chronicle--by Chris Smith
"Swine flu" fears that have gripped much of the country for months can be eased this week with the arrival of H1N1 vaccines in Clarksville.
About 500 doses of the vaccine arrived in Montgomery County Tuesday and are free for the taking starting today at 9 a.m., according to Dr. Lori Macdonald, regional health officer for the MidCumberland Region of the Tennessee Department of Health.
"Now that we've got it, and we're ready to give it, come on down," she said.
The nasal mist vaccines will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today and Friday at the Montgomery County Health Department on a walk-in basis, and the doses are free.
"It's the best deal on the block," Macdonald said.
Walk-ins will be served on Thursday as well, but more staff will be available to help people on the other days, she said.
The nasal mist vaccine contains the live H1N1 virus, so it is available only for people age 2-49 who are "perfectly healthy" — it cannot be given to anyone with chronic asthma, diabetes or heart disease, for example, or to anyone who is pregnant.
"We're really working to get those school-age kids vaccinated," Macdonald said, because that's where the virus is spreading most quickly and leading to the most deaths.
The injectable version of the vaccine, which contains no live virus and has no usage restrictions, should "trickle in this week," Macdonald said. "We don't know how much, but it will be coming in every week."
Seasonal flu vaccine has been in short supply because vaccine makers have shifted their focus to H1N1. The local Health Department, in fact, on Tuesday had only 25 doses left for children 3 and younger.
Macdonald expects the seasonal vaccine to start coming in toward the end of November.
She said that shouldn't pose a problem since it's early yet for seasonal flu. Experts suspect most of the flu cases they're seeing are indeed H1N1 cases. Widespread testing has been abandoned because of the time involved and because it makes little difference in treatment.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20091014/NEWS01/910140329&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
"Swine flu" fears that have gripped much of the country for months can be eased this week with the arrival of H1N1 vaccines in Clarksville.
About 500 doses of the vaccine arrived in Montgomery County Tuesday and are free for the taking starting today at 9 a.m., according to Dr. Lori Macdonald, regional health officer for the MidCumberland Region of the Tennessee Department of Health.
"Now that we've got it, and we're ready to give it, come on down," she said.
The nasal mist vaccines will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today and Friday at the Montgomery County Health Department on a walk-in basis, and the doses are free.
"It's the best deal on the block," Macdonald said.
Walk-ins will be served on Thursday as well, but more staff will be available to help people on the other days, she said.
The nasal mist vaccine contains the live H1N1 virus, so it is available only for people age 2-49 who are "perfectly healthy" — it cannot be given to anyone with chronic asthma, diabetes or heart disease, for example, or to anyone who is pregnant.
"We're really working to get those school-age kids vaccinated," Macdonald said, because that's where the virus is spreading most quickly and leading to the most deaths.
The injectable version of the vaccine, which contains no live virus and has no usage restrictions, should "trickle in this week," Macdonald said. "We don't know how much, but it will be coming in every week."
Seasonal flu vaccine has been in short supply because vaccine makers have shifted their focus to H1N1. The local Health Department, in fact, on Tuesday had only 25 doses left for children 3 and younger.
Macdonald expects the seasonal vaccine to start coming in toward the end of November.
She said that shouldn't pose a problem since it's early yet for seasonal flu. Experts suspect most of the flu cases they're seeing are indeed H1N1 cases. Widespread testing has been abandoned because of the time involved and because it makes little difference in treatment.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20091014/NEWS01/910140329&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
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