More H1N1 vaccinations to be given during clinic

The Jefferson County Public Health office will have another H1N1 vaccination clinic from 8 a.m. to noon Friday ? or until the vaccine is gone ? at its office in the Fairfield fire station.

Jefferson County Public Health administrator Chris Estle-Tedrow explained that in order to receive either the mist or injection form of the vaccine, a person must meet one of the specific criteria set by the Center For Disease Control.

For the mist form of the vaccine, a person must live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months old; be health care and emergency medical services personnel; or be between 2-24 years old.

Spray cannot be given to individuals with a cold, respiratory problem, asthma or fever. It is only given to healthy individuals meeting the above criteria between the ages of 2-49.

The injection form of the vaccine can be given to: pregnant women; infant care providers who are older than 50; health care workers who provide care to severely immune-compromised patients, such as on a hospital bone marrow or transplant unit; healthy children between 6 months and 2 years old; children and adolescents between 6 months and 18 years old who have a chronic medical condition; and adults ages 25-64 who are at a higher risk for H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune system.

Children who are 6 months to 9 years old need a second dose of the vaccine 28 days after receiving the first, reminded Estle-Tedrow.

Estle-Tedrow has asked for people wanting the H1N1 vaccine to be patient; the criteria for those eligible to receive the vaccine will expand as more vaccine becomes available.

The Center for Disease Control sends the vaccine to the state, and the state distributes it to county public health agencies based on population, and each county public health agency works with local vaccine providers to administer the vaccine, explained Estle-Tedrow.

?We as a local public heath office have no control over what we get,? she said. ?I can?t make a request; I have to take what they send me.?

For information about the clinic, call the Jefferson County Public Health office at 472-5929.

For the complete article, see the Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.