Despite having an ample supply of H1N1 virus vaccine on hand for a flu clinic later in the day Wednesday, county Public Health officials were forced to cut a seasonal flu vaccination clinic short after running out of doses.
The department exhausted its 200 doses of seasonal flu vaccine in under an hour, while the clinic had been scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to noon, according to Helene Cecconi, supervising nurse. Officials turned away a “handful” of residents at the door and a number called and learned of the shortage, she added.
Dr. Gregory O’ Keefe said the shortage is a result of the increased demand placed on officials attempting to distribute both the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu vaccines.
Another shipment of seasonal flu is anticipated to arrive in December, O’Keefe said. And overall this year an additional one million seasonal flu doses are projected to be manufactured to meet demands, he added.
The current focus, however, seemed to be on getting H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, vaccinations out.
At the end of the five-hour swine flu clinic Wednesday, at First United Methodist Church of Herkimer-Little Falls, in Herkimer, a total of 708 doses had been administered.
Heidi McManus, of Newport, attended the clinic with her 3-year-old daughter Alexa.
Heidi said she was concerned about the H1N1 virus, especially as she had an 11-month-old daughter with a condition that could complicate treatment.
“I wanted to make sure that we didn’t bring it home,” she said.
The actual swine flu vaccinations moved along smoothly, with those in attendance filling out standard paperwork and waiting in a moderate line inside the church hall.
But some of the younger patients did struggle with the process.
When his turn came to be vaccinated, Everett Jones, 2, of West Winfield, cast a suspicious eye on the woman approaching him.
He reared his head back for the first sprits of the nasal spray vaccine and, still in shock, the second sprits was administered.
Jones looked up at his mother and almost instantly his face contorted and he burst into tears.
Then the nurse handed him a lollipop, and moments later he appeared to have forgotten the whole ordeal, having taken a front row seat to watch his older sister Victoria Jones, 6, get vaccinated.
Herkimer, N.Y. —
