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Flu shots continue around county |
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009 |
 Christina Martin, a nurse from Benton Healthcare, gets ready to stick a needle into a child’s arm as other students from Angie Grant Elementary in Benton wait their turn to get a flu shot this morning. Flu shots are being given at numerous schools in Saline County and on Friday at the Holland Chapel Family Life Center in Benton. As flu season approaches and flu-related symptoms begin to be more prevalent, Saline County residents can take a giant step against the virus by getting a free vaccination on Friday.
The Saline County Health Department will offer free flu shots to county residents at the Holland Chapel Family Life Center in Benton. Shots will be given from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Both seasonal flu vaccines and the H1N1 or “swine flu” virus shot will be offered; but H1N1 will only be given to children younger than 5 years of age and pregnant women.
Another free flu shot clinic will be offered on Tuesday, Dec. 1 with the same hours and location.
At Friday’s clinic, a drive-thru shot line will also be available, weather permitting. Otherwise, all patients will be required to go inside the Family Life Center to receive their vaccine, said Edyie Abercrombie of the SCHD.
Patients with Medicaid, ARKids, Medicare or private insurance must bring their insurance card. The vaccines are free to everyone, but the insurance card is needed because some of the money spent on the vaccine by the health department can be billed to insurance company, Abercrombie said.
To make the clinic a success, many volunteers are needed. Abercrombie said they are doing very well with their volunteers, though they could use more clerical volunteers. Good penmanship is the only requirement to be a clerical volunteer.
Meanwhile, Saline County children already are being vaccinated through their schools.
All Saline County students can be vaccinated for H1N1 and the seasonal flu vaccine by Nov. 18. Students at Springhill, Collegeville and Hurricane Creek Elementary Schools in Bryant all received their shots last week. Today and tomorrow, all Benton students will receive both vaccines if desired. Elementary students will be bused to Benton High school for the vaccinations.
Students must have signed parental consent forms in order to receive the vaccine.
The health history of students will also be considered so students can receive the appropriate vaccine, based on health issues. Both the intranasal and intramuscular types will be offered. Some students are medically unable receive the live virus, which is contained in the intranasal type of vaccination, said Krisann Bullard, head nurse of the Benton School District. The intramuscular type contains a killed virus, Bullard added.
Demand has been fairly strong for flu shots, officials said.
“We’ve had about a 50 percent return rate on our vaccinations,” Abercrombie said.
Abercrombie said some students have not received the seasonal vaccine because “[the health department] has had some troubles with getting enough shipped. The pharmaceutical companies stopped making the seasonal flu vaccine to make H1N1. We’ll eventually get enough in, but it’s just going a little slower than we thought,” she said.
Children younger than 10 must receive two doses of the H1N1 vaccine, while children 10 and older need only one dose of the vaccine. This new finding is according to studies released recently from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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