GF seasonal flu shot clinic vaccine runs out in 15 minutes
Health officials administer 140 doses Friday morningIt took less than 15 minutes Friday morning for the Grand Forks Public Health Department to close its seasonal flu shot clinic.
By: James R. Johnson, Herald Staff Writer
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It took less than 15 minutes Friday morning for the Grand Forks Public Health Department to close its seasonal flu shot clinic.
“People were lining up, and the department started distributing numbers,” John Bernstrom, Grand Forks public information officer, said he was told. “They said, ‘We’re closing up. We’ve got 120 people in the waiting room.’”
About 140 doses of seasonal flu vaccine were administered, and the clinic was done at about noon, said Kathy Dunn, registered nurse with the department who runs the immunization program.
Dunn said the department’s supplier of seasonal flu vaccine still intends to send more shipments at the end of this month. She said the department continues to receive small doses of the H1NI vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not added to the target groups for the vaccine, Dunn said, which are pregnant women, children 6 months up to 18 years and caregivers of children less than six months.
“We ordered most of the H1N1 vaccine for school-age children,” Dunn said. “Since most students at UND don’t fall into any of the priority groups, it might be some time before they receive any.”
Jane Croeker, promotion/marketing advisor for UND Student Health, said the number of influenza cases being treated has more than tripled since the start of the semester.
“In October, we had 324 phone consults and 502 students seen in the clinic,” Croeker said. “That compares with 81 and 111 for August and September combined. There’s been a little bit of a drop in the last week.”
Croeker said the CDC estimates 92 percent of cases of influenza illness are likely H1N1.
Monday H1N1 clinics
Polk County Public Health will hold H1N1 flu shot clinics Monday afternoon. The vaccine will be given to children 5 to 9 and they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Nasal FluMist will be offered.
The clinics will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. in Polk County Public Health Offices in:
- East Grand Forks, 1424 Central Ave. N., (218) 773-2431.
- Crookston, 721 S. Minnesota St., (800) 823-2858.
- McIntosh, Minn., 275 Cleveland Ave., next to the post office, (218) 563-2010.
Reach Johnson at (701) 780-1262; (800) 477-6572, ext. 262; or send e-mail to jjohnson2@gfherald.com. The Canadian Press also contributed to this report.
Tags: health, flu shot clinics, gf and egf, seasonal flu, grand forks public health, grand forks, john bernstrom, h1n1 flu, swine flu, cdc, pandemic, influenza
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