Flu shots for public coming

Three more mass H1N1 immunization clinics for high risk groups have been scheduled in Crow Wing County, including one Thursday in Brainerd.

Then the vaccine will be distributed to area clinics and available for the general population by the end of the month or early January, Crow Wing Public Health officials said Wednesday.

Joyce Mueller, a Crow Wing County Public Health nurse, said county health workers are expecting a large turn-out at the H1N1 clinic planned from 4-7 p.m. Thursday at the Brainerd High School cafeteria for an expanded targeted group. Two other similar clinics are planned for 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at Pequot Lakes High School and from 4-6 p.m. Dec. 11 at Cuyuna Range Elementary School in Crosby.

Those eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine at these clinics are children ages 6 months to young adults up to age 24, adults ages 25-64 with a chronic medical condition, pregnant women, those with house-hold contacts or caregivers of infants younger than 6 months, health care providers and emergency medical personnel.

The vaccine is free and available to those living in the surrounding communities as long as they meet the specific criteria to receive the vaccine. Children must be accompanied by a parent.

Mueller said it's important to note that children younger than 10 who previously received an H1N1 vaccine at an earlier clinic and are recommended by the Minnesota Department of Health to receive a second booster are not eligible to receive that second dose at this time. The county has been advised to wait on those second doses for children until all the priority groups have had an opportunity to be vaccinated.

Mueller also said that the county is out of the H1N1 FluMist and will only be giving the shots at Thursday's clinic at BHS. She said they may receive an additional FluMist shipment of vaccine before next week's clinics.

The largest mass H1N1 clinic county public health workers hosted was Nov. 21 at Forestview Middle School in Baxter, where 902 doses were administered.

"Things have gone very well so far," Mueller said of the mass H1N1 clinics. "After every clinic we have a debriefing and we kind of tweak things that didn't work very well at the previous clinics and try to work out those kinks."

Mueller said following the three scheduled mass clinics the county will be distributing the H1N1 vaccine it receives to medical clinics in Crosby and Brainerd for use for the general population, in either late December or early January, depending on vaccine availability. Public health also likely will host walk-in H1N1 clinics for the general public at its office.

"The state is really preparing for a resurgence of the virus in January or February," Mueller explained. "We really want to make sure everyone gets vaccinated."

For more information or to find out about any other upcoming H1N1 clinics, call the Crow Wing County flu hotline at 822-7022.

JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.