H1N1 Vaccine Arrives
Hundreds line up for nose sprayBy COLIN KYLER ckyler@timesobserver.com
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Hundreds of Warren County residents lined up Wednesday to receive the H1N1 vaccine in hopes of warding off the strand also known as "swine flu."
The clinic at the Warren General Hospital was "very orderly," according to Karen Coombs, the hospital's community relations director.
From the hospital perspective, Coombs said, the clinic went as well as it possibly could have.
Four volunteers assisted people, Coombs said, while nurses assisted with screening and the vaccine itself.
While Coombs did not have an attendance total for the event, which lasted from noon to 6 p.m., she did say there were about 200 people in the first three hours and the hospital had approximately 700 doses to distribute.
The largest amount of vaccines was given to persons between the ages of 2 and 24, Coombs said.
"Really, the children were the biggest population that came through," she said. "Those are the most at risk."
Coombs said EMS personnel also attended in high numbers.
Those at the clinic Wednesday were given the nasal mist, Coombs said, as the hospital has not received the shot vaccine.
Coombs said she was not sure when the hospital would receive the shot, but when it does, a public clinic will be held to administer both the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal flu shot.
The hospital is not charging for the H1N1 vaccine, Coombs said.
"I want to thank the public for their understanding," she said. "I appreciated the cooperation and understanding of the public."
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that federal health officials now say 4,000 or more Americans have likely died from the H1N1 virus.
Previously, the AP reported, officials said only around 1,000 had died.
The new figure was first reported by The New York Times, according to the AP, and includes deaths caused by complications related to the strand, such as pneumonia and bacterial infections.
The Centers for Disease Control says "many millions" in the United States have caught the virus, the AP reported, which first appeared in April.
