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Hudson clinic draws restless children, weary pregnant women as early vaccines are limited to groups with greatest risk
By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal medical writer
Published on Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009
HUDSON: For pregnant women and parents in Summit County on Tuesday, pink wristbands and laminated number cards were the hottest tickets in town.
More than 2,200 people lined up at Hudson Community Chapel to get one of the first publicly available H1N1 flu vaccines in the region.
The Summit County Health District held the free clinic to begin protecting children, pregnant women and other high-risk people from the increasingly widespread H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu.
Health department nurses screened people outdoors to see whether they qualified for the vaccine. Recipients waited for hours in a line that snaked around the large church.
Those who met the criteria got a coveted number card for the swine flu shot or a pink wristband for the nasal spray version of the vaccine.
Alex Remmers, 12, of Hudson was among the first in line to roll up his sleeve and get the shot.
His mother got in line 31/2 hours before the clinic started at 4 p.m. to save him a spot until his grandmother dropped him off after school.
Alex, a Hudson Middle School sixth-grader, has severe allergies and asthma, which puts him at higher risk for complications from the flu.
''I've had a couple friends and classmates who had swine flu,'' he said. ''There were 200 kids out with it last week.''
The health department had about 780 swine flu shots and about 1,500 nasal spray vaccines at
Tuesday's clinic.
Public health agencies are limiting the first vaccines to people in these priority groups:
• Pregnant women.
• Household contacts and caregivers for babies younger than 6 months.
• Health-care and emergency medical services workers who provide direct patient care.
• Anyone ages 6 months through 24 years.
• People ages 25 through 64 with health conditions associated with a higher risk of medical complications from the flu.
As a result, the line was swarming with restless youngsters and weary pregnant women. At least two of the women went into labor during the clinic, according to health department officials.
Melanie Novak, 25, of Cuyahoga Falls is expecting her second child Feb. 17. She and her 23-month-old daughter, Caydence, both got flu shots during Tuesday's mass inoculation.
''I'm excited for the peace of mind, knowing I've been vaccinated and she has been vaccinated,'' Novak said.
Health department officials cut off the line about 6 p.m. and were able to vaccinate everyone who lined up by that time, public information officer Donna Skoda said. Only a few vaccines remained when the clinic ended.
Pam Schuellerman of Hudson wasn't taking any chances.
She pulled her 7-year-old twin boys and 10-year-old daughter out of school early and brought them to the clinic, along with her 3-year-old daughter.
All four children got a pink wristband to get the nasal spray vaccine, known as Flu-Mist.
''I think it's important,'' Schuellerman said. ''There's a reason why they're recommending it. God forbid I didn't get it and something happened.''
Elderly disappointed
Some elderly people, in particular, were disappointed they couldn't get a vaccine yet.
''We're not targeting older folks yet because they probably have natural immunity,'' Skoda said. ''We do want them to get their seasonal flu vaccine.''
In the makeshift clinic set up inside the church's gym, about 20 volunteer medical workers who signed up to serve on the Summit County Medical Reserve Corps registered patients and administered the vaccines.
Joyce Thompson, a licensed practical nurse at Akron General Medical Center, volunteered after working from 4 to 10 a.m. at the hospital.
''I just think we ought to pay it forward,'' she said. ''We're healthy. We're fortunate. We have jobs and homes.''
Green clinic
The Summit County Health District will be holding another public swine flu vaccine clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at The Chapel in Green, 1800 Raber Road.
The Akron Health Department will hold its first H1N1 flu vaccine clinic from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Judith A. Resnik school, 65 N. Meadowcroft Drive.
People are not permitted to line up prior to 3 p.m. for either clinic.
As of Tuesday, about 22.4 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine were available to ship nationwide, said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
''We're getting to the level where it will become significantly easier to find vaccine,'' Frieden said in a teleconference.
As more vaccine is shipped, the Akron, Barberton and Summit County health departments will schedule additional clinics. Information will be posted at http://www.summitflu.org.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
HUDSON: For pregnant women and parents in Summit County on Tuesday, pink wristbands and laminated number cards were the hottest tickets in town.
More than 2,200 people lined up at Hudson Community Chapel to get one of the first publicly available H1N1 flu vaccines in the region.
The Summit County Health District held the free clinic to begin protecting children, pregnant women and other high-risk people from the increasingly widespread H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu.
Health department nurses screened people outdoors to see whether they qualified for the vaccine. Recipients waited for hours in a line that snaked around the large church.
Those who met the criteria got a coveted number card for the swine flu shot or a pink wristband for the nasal spray version of the vaccine.
Alex Remmers, 12, of Hudson was among the first in line to roll up his sleeve and get the shot.
His mother got in line 31/2 hours before the clinic started at 4 p.m. to save him a spot until his grandmother dropped him off after school.
Alex, a Hudson Middle School sixth-grader, has severe allergies and asthma, which puts him at higher risk for complications from the flu.
''I've had a couple friends and classmates who had swine flu,'' he said. ''There were 200 kids out with it last week.''
The health department had about 780 swine flu shots and about 1,500 nasal spray vaccines at
Tuesday's clinic.
Public health agencies are limiting the first vaccines to people in these priority groups:
• Pregnant women.
• Household contacts and caregivers for babies younger than 6 months.
• Health-care and emergency medical services workers who provide direct patient care.
• Anyone ages 6 months through 24 years.
• People ages 25 through 64 with health conditions associated with a higher risk of medical complications from the flu.
As a result, the line was swarming with restless youngsters and weary pregnant women. At least two of the women went into labor during the clinic, according to health department officials.
Melanie Novak, 25, of Cuyahoga Falls is expecting her second child Feb. 17. She and her 23-month-old daughter, Caydence, both got flu shots during Tuesday's mass inoculation.
''I'm excited for the peace of mind, knowing I've been vaccinated and she has been vaccinated,'' Novak said.
Health department officials cut off the line about 6 p.m. and were able to vaccinate everyone who lined up by that time, public information officer Donna Skoda said. Only a few vaccines remained when the clinic ended.
Pam Schuellerman of Hudson wasn't taking any chances.
She pulled her 7-year-old twin boys and 10-year-old daughter out of school early and brought them to the clinic, along with her 3-year-old daughter.
All four children got a pink wristband to get the nasal spray vaccine, known as Flu-Mist.
''I think it's important,'' Schuellerman said. ''There's a reason why they're recommending it. God forbid I didn't get it and something happened.''
Elderly disappointed
Some elderly people, in particular, were disappointed they couldn't get a vaccine yet.
''We're not targeting older folks yet because they probably have natural immunity,'' Skoda said. ''We do want them to get their seasonal flu vaccine.''
In the makeshift clinic set up inside the church's gym, about 20 volunteer medical workers who signed up to serve on the Summit County Medical Reserve Corps registered patients and administered the vaccines.
Joyce Thompson, a licensed practical nurse at Akron General Medical Center, volunteered after working from 4 to 10 a.m. at the hospital.
''I just think we ought to pay it forward,'' she said. ''We're healthy. We're fortunate. We have jobs and homes.''
Green clinic
The Summit County Health District will be holding another public swine flu vaccine clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at The Chapel in Green, 1800 Raber Road.
The Akron Health Department will hold its first H1N1 flu vaccine clinic from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Judith A. Resnik school, 65 N. Meadowcroft Drive.
People are not permitted to line up prior to 3 p.m. for either clinic.
As of Tuesday, about 22.4 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine were available to ship nationwide, said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
''We're getting to the level where it will become significantly easier to find vaccine,'' Frieden said in a teleconference.
As more vaccine is shipped, the Akron, Barberton and Summit County health departments will schedule additional clinics. Information will be posted at http://www.summitflu.org.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Wadsworth, OH
Posted 08:54 AM, 10/28/2009
Hope they enjoy all the mercury they just got injected with.....
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 09:05 AM, 10/28/2009
They don't put mercury in vaccinations anymore dummy!!
akron, oh
Posted 09:30 AM, 10/28/2009
I waited (I'm pregnant)in that line yesterday for 3 1/2 hours with my 3 year old. I had no idea that it would take so long, but i'm glad that we waited. I feel so much better knowing we are protected now. As for the mercury uproar-if you get the flumist there is no thimeresol or preservative in that at all. And study after study has disproved the theory that vaccines are linked to autism. We do know that several pregnant women have been hospitalized and lost their babies due to the swine flu. I'd rather take my chances with a sore arm! Congratulations to all my "line buddies" who payed their dues yesterday in that line! It's over now!
Posted 09:41 AM, 10/28/2009
Yes, it does contain mercury. Because the nation is in a "state of emergency" due to the outbreak, the regulations regarding Hg and vaccinations have been temporarily lifted. The information is on the CDC's website.
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:16 AM, 10/28/2009
Look what happened to this poor young lady after she got the vaccine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug__x-FnOE4&feature=related
Posted 10:53 AM, 10/28/2009
Chippy. You should read vaccine insert before injecting you or your child.
Straight from the FDA website.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182242.pdf
8.1 Pregnancy
Pregnancy Category C: Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine or FLUVIRIN. It is also not known whether Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine or FLUVIRIN can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
8.3 Nursing Mothers
It is not known whether FLUVIRIN or Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine is administered to a nursing woman.
8.4 Pediatric Use
Safety and effectiveness in pediatric subjects below the age of 4 years have not been established. [see ADVERSE REACTIONS (6) and CLINICAL STUDIES (14)]
North Canton, OH
Posted 11:06 AM, 10/28/2009
We were warned about this swine flu outbreak last spring, and yet here it is almost six months later and there is not enough vaccine to go around. The Obama administration knew that drug companies dropped the ball with this thing, and he did nothing but create more panic by declaring it a national emergency. Now we have people who are not in high-risk groups lying and falsifying documentation to get the shots.
Another problem is the timing. The vaccine is just now becoming more widely available--yet my children's pediatrician said not to bother with the H1N1 vaccine because the virus has peaked already, and the vaccine will not protect most people who get the shot now. She did, however, highly recommend getting a seasonal flu vaccination.
The other problem with the H1N1 vaccination is that (as I understand it) children under 9 years of age (which both of mine are) need two doses. Where do you get the second dose even if you are able to get the first? Someone really dropped the ball on this one.
hudson, oh
Posted 11:59 AM, 10/28/2009
Why does Hudson get it before anyone else?
Rich people? C'mon, the poor need innoculation most. Rich folk like these have excellent health insurance and will be able to afford care if they do get ill.
Taking care of the rich. Gotta love it!
Chagrin Falls, OH
Posted 12:10 PM, 10/28/2009
Will the hysteria ever cease? I was advised by family members who are medical providers to pass on the H1N1 vaccine because it's untested, loaded with thimerisol (sp?) and really....this is just another flu virus. People that are dying (it's blown out of proportion in the media) have complications that put them at risk for any illness, not just this flu. Ever wonder WHO benefits from this hysteria? Perhaps the drug companies who understand how to create artificial demand? Advice: a return to common sense - 1) wash your hands often, 2) stay out of public areas, 3) follow good hygiene and a good diet and 4) stay the heck home if you're sick - keep your self-important germs to yourself.
Posted 12:55 PM, 10/28/2009
S -
Are you sure that Novartis was the only brand of injection offered yesterday? The CSL brand of single-dose injection contains no thimerosal (see http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182401.pdf).
Also, the Novartis pre-filled single dose contains less than 1 mcg of the mercury derivative; the average 7 ounce piece of salmon contains twice that.
Not necessarily advocating for the shot, but wanted to get all the info out there so people can make educated decisions.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted 12:59 PM, 10/28/2009
Baaaaa. pandemicfluonline dot org learn more about the vaccine.
akron, oh
Posted 01:28 PM, 10/28/2009
UseCommonSense-
That was the REGULAR FLU SHOT that did that to that poor girl. NOT the H1N1 vaccine.
If you actually watch the video, it says its from the regular seasonal flu shot.
I am 4 monthes pregnant right now and have been struggling with the decision to get the h1n1 vaccine or not....I probably wouldn't get it if i wasn't pregnant, but there are sooo many pregnant women that didn't get the vaccine that are getting so sick, some dieing, some losing their babies...this is a very scary time right now for pregnant women to decide whether or not to get the vaccine.
akron, oh
Posted 01:30 PM, 10/28/2009
There is a preservative called thimersol that has a mecury base in it.
There are thimersol free vaccines available for pregnant women if they choose that one.
Posted 01:38 PM, 10/28/2009
blue - From what I have read they are all the same in regards to safety.
The multi dose vial contains 25mcg mercury per 0.5ml dose.
You're not injecting straight mercury into your body when you eat salmon.
Just pointing out that it is not known if the vaccine is safe for pregnant women, not known if it causes fetal harm or affects reproductive capacity.
Why are they telling pregnant women to line up first.
