County health department to host H1N1 vaccine clinic

The only vaccine that will be offered at the clinic is the nasal spray, which contains a live, attenuated version of the H1N1 virus, or LAIV. This type of vaccine is approved for people aged 2 to 49 who are not pregnant and do not have underlying health conditions.

A total of 400 doses has been set aside for the clinic and will be administered on a first come, first served basis. The clinic will close at 8 p.m. or when all the doses have been administered.

There is no charge for the vaccine or for administering the vaccine; the clinic is free.

According to health department officials, the clinic is open to individuals in the following groups: persons who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months of age; health-care and emergency medical services personnel; and children, adolescents and young adults between the ages of 6 months and 24 years. The focus of the clinic, officials said, is people between 2 and 24 years of age.

For children 6 months through 9 years old, two H1N1 immunizations are required.

It is also important to note that regular seasonal flu LAIV and H1N1 LAIV must be administered at least 28 days apart.

To prepare for the vaccine clinic, potential recipients can visit the health department's Web site at http://saline.lphamo.org/ to find the vaccine information sheet. The immunization consent and history form is also available online. Reviewing and completing these forms prior to arriving at the clinic will allow patients to bypass the first step, which will also save time.