By Emily Ford and Shavonne Potts
eford@salisburypost.com
The increased availability of H1N1 vaccine has prompted public health officials to offer vaccinations to anyone who wants them.
Until now, only people in high-risk categories could get the vaccine from the the Rowan County Health Department and the Cabarrus Health Alliance.
Both have scheduled mass swine flu vaccination clinics next week. Starting today, the Cabarrus Health Alliance will give the H1N1 vaccine to anyone in the community. There is no charge for the vaccination.
The Rowan County Health Department will have an H1N1 vaccination clinic Tuesday, Dec. 8, which is open to the general public.
The clinic is from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at the health department, 1811 E. Innes St., Salisbury.
The Cabarrus Health Alliance expects several large shipments of vaccine in the next weeks. It has set up one mass clinic and four school-based clinics.
The Cabarrus mass clinic will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, located at 4751 NC Highway 49 in Concord.
“I am encouraging interested citizens to come to the mass clinic because we are prepared to vaccinate and accommodate greater numbers of persons at this facility,” said Dr. William F. Pilkington, public health director. “We appreciate Cabarrus County providing the arena for this mass clinic. Our goal is to make the H1N1 vaccine available to everyone in the community, in a timely way.”
In cooperation with Cabarrus County Schools, four additional H1N1 vaccination clinics are scheduled as follows:
– Today 3-7 p.m.
Central Cabarrus High School cafeteria, 505 Highway 49 South, Concord.
– Tuesday 3-7 p.m.
J. M. Robinson High School media center, 300 Pitts School Road SW, Concord.
– Dec. 10 3-7 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant High School media center, 700 Walker Road, Mt. Pleasant.
– Dec. 15 3-7 p.m.
Northwest Cabarrus High School cafeteria, 5130 Northwest Cabarrus Drive, Concord.
The school clinics are limited to 300 patients at each site, due to space and parking availability. Children age 9 and under who need a second dose of H1N1 vaccine may receive it at any of these clinics, if it has been one month since the first dose of vaccine was administered.
In addition to the clinics, anyone can make an appointment to receive the H1N1 vaccine at Cabarrus Health Alliance, located at 1307 S. Cannon Boulevard in Kannapolis, by calling 704-920-1300.
For the most current information on Cabarrus clinics, call the Cabarrus Health Alliance Health Information line at 704-920-1213 or visit www.cabarrushealth.org.
For more information about the Rowan clinic, contact the Rowan County Health Department at 704-216-8777.