McLean County Health Department H1N1 Vaccination Clinics

McLean County Health Department H1N1 Vaccination Clinics

The McLean County Health Department has numerous H1N1 vaccination clinics scheduled in upcoming weeks. Please note that the clinic on February 10 will be the last scheduled public vaccination clinic held by the McLean County Health Department. Beginning Friday, January 29, H1N1 vaccinations will be available at the health department on a walk-in basis every Friday morning from 9:00 a.m. to Noon through the month of February. All clinics are open to everyone in the general public and are no longer limited to the priority populations. There is no cost to receive the H1N1 vaccine; only the injectable vaccine is available through the health department. Individuals with special medical circumstances may call the health department at (309) 888-5450 to schedule an appointment to receive an H1N1 vaccination.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 – First Presbyterian Church, Normal
On Tuesday, January 26, an H1N1 vaccination clinic will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, 2000 East College Avenue in Normal, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 28, 2010 – Christ Lutheran Church, Normal
On Thursday, January 28, an H1N1 vaccination clinic will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 311 North Hershey Avenue in Normal, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 – Mount Moriah Christian Church, Bloomington
On Tuesday, February 2, an H1N1 vaccination clinic will be held at Mount Moriah Christian Church, 510 East Washington Street in Bloomington, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 4, 2010 – Western Avenue Community Center, Bloomington
On Thursday, February 4, an H1N1 vaccination clinic will be held at Western Avenue Community Center, 600 North Western Avenue in Bloomington, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 – Olympia North Elementary School, Danvers
On Wednesday, February 10, an H1N1 vaccination clinic will be held at Olympia North Elementary School, 205 North State Street in Danvers, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Please note this is the last scheduled public H1N1 vaccination clinic.

Special Note: Information on Vaccination Recall
On December 15, the Centers for Disease Control issued a recall for approximately 800,000 pre-filled H1N1 vaccination syringes made by Sanofi Pasteur for children 6 to 35 months of age. The McLean County Health Department did not receive or administer any of this specific vaccine. The recall is for non-safety related issues due to the concentration of the antigen in the vaccine dropping slightly below a pre-specified limit. Children who received the recalled vaccine do not need to be revaccinated. For more information on the recall, please visit the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/syringes_qa.htm.

Information for Parents
The Centers for Disease Control recommends a second dose of the H1N1 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 9 years of age, 21-28 days after the initial dose. Children eligible for their second H1N1 vaccination will be able to receive the second dose at any scheduled clinics. Parents must bring the vaccine administration card as documentation of the first dose. All children 17 years of age and younger must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Parents are reminded to bring snacks, water and activities for their children and dress for vaccine administration.

ISU & IWU
All local college and university students, faculty and staff are eligible for vaccination at McLean County Health Department clinics.

H1N1 Vaccination Priority Groups
While H1N1 vaccine is no longer limited to the five priority groups, the priority groups as identified by the Centers for Disease Control are still at a higher risk with H1N1 and should seek vaccination if they have not already received it. These groups are:

• pregnant women,
• individuals who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months
• health care and emergency medical services personnel,
• individuals 6 months through 24 years of age
• individuals 25 years to 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or weakened immune systems.

Prevention
McLean County Health Department recommends following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines to help prevent influenza.

• Get vaccinated for both seasonal and H1N1 influenza when it becomes available.
•  Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough. Use a tissue or upper arm, not your hand.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water. Use alcohol based hand sanitizers if soap and water are unavailable.

• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth because germs spread in this manner.
• Routinely clean frequently touched common surfaces such as your phone, computer keyboard and door knobs.

• Avoid contact with sick people.
• If you are sick, stay at home until fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of a fever- reducing medication.

Remember you can be proactive against the flu! Just follow the 3 C’s:
Clean: Wash your hands
Cover: Cover your cough or sneeze
Contain: Keep sickness at home

For more H1N1resources, visit www.cdc.gov, www.flu.gov, www.ready.illinois.gov. Non-medical H1N1 information is available by calling the state-wide flu hotline at 866-848-2094 (English) or 866-241-2138 (Español).