H1N1 clinic Wednesday

Written by John Kovach
Sunday, 01 November 2009 17:23

The Health Department will hold its third scheduled H1N1 clinic Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Due to the limited supply of vaccine, injections will be provided by appointment only and to specific priority groups:

• Pregnant women; children ages 6 months through 4 years;

• Children ages 5 through 18 years with high risk medical conditions;

• Caretakers and household contacts of infants less than 6 months of age;

• Hospital health care workers and Emergency Medical Services personnel.

Those residents may call the Health Department, 203-385-4090, between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays through Wednesday.

Walk-ins will not be accepted.

Medical conditions that confer a higher risk for influenza-related complications include chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), kidney, liver, cognitive, neurological/neuromuscular, blood, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes). Children with immunosuppression are also at greater risk for complications from the flu.

The Health Department has ample supply of the intranasal spray. Healthy individuals ages 2 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant and are in one of the following priority groups qualify for the intranasal spray:

• Healthy children ages 2 to 18 years;

• Healthy household contacts and caregivers of infants less than 6 months of age;

• Healthy hospital health care workers and Emergency Medical Services personnel.

“We are providing the vaccine to residents as rapidly as possible, especially to those at greatest risk of complications from the flu,” said Director of Health Lisa Pippa. “We anticipate that the priority groups will open up as more vaccine becomes available.”

Information about flu clinics in Stratford and H1N1 can be found at www.townofstratford.com/health.