The Rowan County Health Department will have an H1N1 flu clinic today at its offices, 1811 E. Innes St. from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. or until the vaccine is gone.
Staff will be providing vaccine to the following:
– H1N1 live nasal vaccine for children ages 2 to 24 years and health care workers through 49 years of age.
– Preservative-free injectable H1N1 vaccine for children 6 months through 35 months of age will also be provided.
– Injectable vaccine for children ages 3 through 24 years of age will be available for children with medical conditions that prohibit them from receiving the live nasal vaccine and for health care workers with medical conditions that prohibit them from receiving the live vaccine or that are age 50 or older.
Pregnant women and people who live with or care for infants younger than 6 month of age may also receive vaccine.
Additionally, anyone age 25 through 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system that puts them at higher risk for flu related complications may also receive vaccine.
People who may obtain the live nasal vaccine during this clinic are:
– Health care workers up to 49 years of age and children age 2 years through 24 years of age that are healthy.
The live H1N1 vaccine for these individuals will be provided on a walk-in, first come first serve basis.
The people in these two groups may not get the live vaccine if they have meet any of the following criteria:
– Pregnant women.
– Anyone with a weakened immune system.
– Anyone with a long-term health problem such as heart disease, lung disease, asthma, kidney or liver disease, metabolic disease such as diabetes, anemia and other blood disorders.
– Children younger than 5 years with asthma or one or more episodes of wheezing during the past year.
– Anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as cerebral palsy or seizure disorders) that can lead to breathing or swallowing problems.
– Anyone in close contact with a person with a severely weakened immune system (requiring care in a protected environment, such as a bone marrow transplant unit).
– Children or adolescents on long-term care aspirin treatment.
Additionally these individuals may not receive the live vaccine if they have:
– An allergy to one of the components of the H1N1 LAIV:
– H1N1 LAIV contains eggs.
– H1N1 LAIV does not contain thimerosal or other preservatives.
H1N1 is contraindicated in individuals with a history of hypersensitivity, especially anaphylactic reactions to eggs, egg proteins, gentamicin, gelatin, or arginine (an amino acid) or with life threatening reactions to previous influenza vaccinations.
– Have had a serious reaction to an influenza vaccine in the past
– A history of Guillain-Barr? Syndrome or an occurrence of any neurological symptom following any vaccine.
– Any one of the health conditions listed above.
– Completed antiviral therapy within the last 48 hours.
– Received a live vaccine within the past month or plan to get a live vaccine within the next month.
People who may obtain the infant and toddler preservative free injectable vaccine during this clinic are:
– Children 6 months of age through 35 months of age.
Persons who may obtain the injectable vaccine during this clinic are:
– Pregnant women.
– Children age 3 – 24 years that have medical conditions that prohibit them from receiving the live nasal vaccine.
– Health care workers that have medical conditions that prohibit them from receiving the live vaccine or that are age 50 or older.
People age 25 through 64 years with chronic or weakened immune system that may receive the injectable vaccine during this clinic include:
– People with chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular (except high blood pressure), kidney, liver, brain function, neurologic , neuromuscular, hemotologic (blood disorder), or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus), or immunosuppression.
People that are moderately or severely ill should be advised to wait until they recover before getting the vaccine. If a person has a mild cold or other illness, there is usually no need to wait.
When more vaccine is received information about additional clinics will be made available.