“We are very excited to offer residents the ability to schedule an appointment for a family member or themselves online, in the convenience of home, work, or at a local library,” said Eric Faisst, Public Health Director for Madison County Health Department. “Those who have made an appointment can be assured that the vaccine will be available to them and that their clinic visit will go more quickly.”
The first clinic on Nov. 19 will offer the H1N1 nasal spray (Flu Mist) vaccine to healthy people between the ages of 2 to 24 years who are not pregnant and are without an underlying medical conditions, such as:
• Asthma
• Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].
• Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
• Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
• Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
• Kidney disorders
• Liver disorders
• Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
• Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy The second clinic on Nov. 24 will offer the H1N1 Flu Shot to pregnant women.
There is no charge for the H1N1 vaccine.
As part of the Flu Plan for Madison County, these initial H1N1 flu clinics are targeted to the populations at greater risk of infection and serious illness. The Health Department expects to continue to receive additional shipments of the H1N1 flu vaccine over the next several weeks and will notify the public of additional clinics, including school clinics, through the media as it becomes available. As H1N1 vaccine supplies increase, clinics will open to anyone who would like to get vaccinated.
For those without internet access appointments can also be scheduled by calling the Madison County “H1N1 Flu Schedulers” at 366-2361.
For more information visit the Madison County Health Department Web site at healthymadisoncounty.org.
