H1N1 nasal-spray clinic applauded

Home

Related Photos

Discussion

November 3, 2009

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Tue Nov 03, 2009, 08:34 PM CST

By Wally Kennedy

wkennedy@joplinglobe.com

Chase Stone was the among the first in line Tuesday afternoon for a dose of H1N1 vaccine.

“We phoned in and got an appointment,” he said, watching as more and more families with small children arrived. “They told us to be here at 4 p.m. It looks like there’s going to be a lot of people here.”

Chase, age 12, was taken to the clinic by his grandfather, Richard Grote. Grote said he was thankful that his grandson was getting the nasal-spray vaccine because of the threat the new flu strain poses to young people who have little immunity to the virus.

“That’s why I made sure I got him over here today,” said Grote. “We don’t want to take any chances.”

Chase, who is in the seventh grade at Webb City, said students there are concerned about becoming ill.

“A girl two seats away from me has been gone from class for two weeks,” he said. “Everyone is like: Where is she? Where is she? We’re worried about her.”

The public clinic was staged at Access Family Care, 530 Maiden Lane, by the Jasper County and Joplin health departments. Plans called for providing 400 to 500 doses of the vaccine to those age 2 to 18, a high-risk group.

But only 300 doses dribbled in to both departments, said Dan Pekarek, director of the Joplin Health Department.

“We thought we had more coming in, but we didn’t get it,” he said. “We are, however, seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. We are filling back orders for physicians. Another good delivery this week will keep them supplied.”

In addition to getting the initial deliveries of the vaccine to pediatricians, the health departments have provided vaccines to firefighters and providers of emergency medical care.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but if we do get more vaccine we could have another public clinic in a week or so,” Pekarek said. “But right now, it’s a juggling act. We need to keep everybody stocked up who needs it — the doctors who are treating high-risk groups — and provide as much to the public as we can.”

Pekarek said Access Family Care was chosen for the clinic because it has available interior space and ample parking.

“This is wonderful facility for this,” he said. “It’s very manageable.”

Volunteers manned tables where parents picked up forms on clipboards. After the forms were filled out, the parents and children were seated in a waiting area. When their names were called, they were escorted to a screened area where a nurse sprayed the vaccine into each nostril of the youngsters. Some children needed to be convinced that they were not getting a shot before they would accept the nose spray.

Pekarek said he is hopeful about recent surveillance of influenza activity that indicates that the number of H1N1 cases has peaked both locally and nationally.

“There’s a new report out by Purdue University that indicates the peak was a week to a week and a half ago,” he said. “I would love to think that was the case.”

Pekarek said influenza epidemics historically have come in waves. He said he hopes that the H1N1 outbreak will subside by the time seasonal flu arrives in January and February.

Carrie Cook, of Joplin, expressed relief when her sons, Aidan, age 5, and Zachary, age 6, were called by a nurse to get their flu vaccines.

“I have been looking for the vaccine every day,” she said. “I was on every waiting list. I am so glad to finally get it.”

But Aidan wasn’t too happy about spending part of his birthday at a vaccination clinic. After he was convinced that no needles were involved, he took the nose spray. After it was over, he said, “It was OK.”

Latest on H1N1

Early this week, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that influenza activity is widespread in 48 states. So far, about 1,000 deaths and more than 20,000 hospitalizations have been reported. More than 100 children have died.