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After receiving a shipment this week of 1,400 doses of H1N1 vaccine, the Mecklenburg County Health Department has started taking appointments to give shots and nasal mist vaccinations to people at high risk for complications from the swine flu.
New flu clinics start today at two health department offices, 249 Billingsley Road and 2845 Beatties Ford Road. The vaccine is targeted for pregnant women, healthy children ages 6 months to 4 years old, children 5 through 18 with chronic medical conditions, and caregivers of children under 6 months.
Appointments can be made by calling 704-432-5100.
Supplies of swine flu vaccine are still limited throughout the country, but Mecklenburg health officials believe they will have enough to start school-based clinics by mid- to late-November.
On Friday, the health department and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will send parents of every school-age child packets of flu clinic information, including consent forms that must be returned if parents want their children vaccinated at school.
Parents should continue to try to get children vaccinated by their private physicians, who know about any health problems and risk factors, said Maria Bonaiuto, director of school health.
Both Carolinas HealthCare System and Presbyterian Healthcare, Charlotte's two large hospital systems, have also received vaccine supplies, some of which is being made available to high risk groups through hospital-owned doctors' offices.
Hospitals, the health department and the MEDIC, Mecklenburg's emergency medical service, have also been vaccinating health-care workers who have direct contact with patients. Many area pharmacies have also distributed limited amounts of the swine flu vaccine to customers.
The Mecklenburg health department has received about 8,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine, a fraction of the 160,000 doses it has ordered. The department last week began vaccinating patients in its Women, Infants and Children Clinics. The department has also shared its supply with MEDIC and the hospitals.
As soon as the health department gets a weekly shipment of 4,000 doses, it will begin holding clinics in the schools, said health director Dr. Wynn Mabry. Boniauto said she expects about one-fourth of CMS students to get vaccinated in school-based clinics.
