Spirit Lake, IA. – Dickinson County Public Health (DCPH) is scheduling H1N1 flu vaccination clinics as vaccine arrives. The clinic to be held on November 16 at Lakes Regional Healthcare’s (LRH) Community Health Center at 1003 21st Street in Milford has been filled. There are still two H1N1 flu vaccine clinics scheduled for November 13 and November 18 and DCPH staff is still accepting appointments for H1N1 flu vaccine for those clinics. People in the groups listed below are encouraged to call DCPH at 336-2682 to make an appointment for these clinics. The vaccine is now available to people ages 6 months to 24 years regardless of their health condition, as well as those ages 25 to 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.
The priority groups of people that are still encouraged to receive the vaccine include:
• Healthcare providers and emergency service personnel
• Pregnant women
• All people from 6 months to 24 years of age
• Household contacts and childcare providers of children under age 6 months
• Persons 25 to 64 years of age who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza
DCPH will schedule additional vaccination clinics as more H1N1 flu vaccine is received. This information will be provided via LRH’s web site, www.lakeshealth.org, every Monday and Thursday morning. People in the priority groups listed above are asked to check LRH’s web site next on Monday morning, November 9 for newly scheduled clinic information.
The H1N1 flu vaccine is only available through DCPH in our area and is provided at no cost. The vaccine is available as a nasal spray or an injection. The nasal spray is a weakened live virus and the injection is a dead, inactivated virus. With the nasal spray, you may get a few symptoms of H1N1 flu, but not actually get H1N1 flu. The injection will consist of one shot in the arm, except for children ages 9 and under; they are encouraged to get two shots spaced one month apart. At this point State guidelines do not allow DCPH to hold vaccine to give second H1N1 vaccine doses until everyone in the priority groups have had their first dose. Once this occurs, DCPH will schedule second dose clinics. DCPH appreciates everyone's patience and understanding regarding this protocol.
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