In the next few weeks, the Athens County Health Department and Ohio University's College of Osteopathic Medicine will receive 1,300 doses of the H1N1 vaccine, according to Health Department officials.
Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi said he did not know how many vaccines OU will receive or when they will arrive.
Apparently
we are not getting a lot of information from the state he said.
OU plans to hold vaccination clinics and administer the vaccine free of charge to students and employees once it arrives -- prioritizing high-risk individuals.
The H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu is a new strain of the seasonal flu. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, vomiting and fatigue.
Ohio has received 214,200 doses of the H1N1 vaccine so far, and will receive an additional 219,800 in the coming weeks.
The county's Health Department ordered 4,200 doses of the vaccine, but has only received 950 to 450 shots and 500 doses of the nasal spray, Health Commissioner James Gaskell said. The nasal spray is available to healthy individuals ages 2 to 49, while others are given shots.
The Health Department is anxiously awaiting more vaccines
Gaskell said, adding that it will vaccinate high-risk groups first.
Pregnant women, children ages 2 to 5 and caretakers of children younger than 6 months can receive the vaccine for free at the Health Department from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, according to its Web site. It also will offer health care workers and first responders the vaccine from 8 to 11:30 a.m. this Thursday.
If enough doses are left, the Health Department plans to vaccinate children kindergarten through 12, Gaskell said.
We don't want to go into a school and not be able to vaccinate everyone
he said.
It is unknown whether other Athens-area providers will receive the vaccine. Walmart's will not distribute the vaccine, and officials at Kroger are unsure if they will receive it.
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Caitlin Bowling
