H1N1 Flu Vaccination Update

I live in Kane County, Illinois.  I waited in line for just under two hours Monday evening at the St Charles North High School for a flu shot to protect against Swine flu (the H1N1 virus).  They ran out of shots and gave me an appointment today at the Kane County Fair Grounds to have the injection.  I arrived early and was out the door by five minutes after my appointment time.

The Kane County Health Department, Emergency Workers, police departments, and volunteers all did a wonderful job processing the crowds and demonstrating caring and respect for everyone.  One of the health care workers told everyone today that more doses are expected to arrive in late November or early December.  When this greater number of doses arrive, they can be available from doctors' offices.  Several insurance programs have already agreed to underwrite the full cost of the vaccine--including any normal "copays."

My mother (age 94) will have to wait awhile.  One way to look at this protection is that the same people who are encouraged to get a seasonal flu shot probably need to get the H1N1 shot as well.  Children and people under 24 seem not to have much immunity to the virus and it has a strong effect on pregnant women.

In the lines I saw parents and teachers among the crowd.  Lots of people are exposed to the virus and health care workers and all the other people I see certainly need the protection the shots (or injections of live virus for people who can deal with that) provide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now have two web pages.  One for the H1N1 (Swine) Flu and one for the Seasonal Flu.

In  an earlier post to this blog, I made some suggestions for teachers to get vaccinated against both types of flu this year.  I'd like to extend that to everyone else who reads this blog unless an allergy or something else makes you not a good candidate to take the vaccinations.  I still believe it is also part of basic preventative medicine.