H1N1 clinic scheduled for Saturday

 
MOUNT VERNON – More H1N1 vaccine is expected to arrive this week, giving way to a vaccination clinic Saturday for people 6 months to 24 years old.


The event will begin at 8 a.m. and will last until 1 p.m. at the Knox County Health Department on Upper Gilchrist Road. More than 250 children attended a clinic Wednesday night for children with medical conditions. More than 100 attended a similar clinic on Monday.


Saturday’s clinic will offer the H1N1 vaccine as a shot or nasal spray.


“Since we have more nasal spray, we are strongly recommending nasal spray for healthy children,” said Jackie Fletcher, R.N., director of nursing for the health department. “It’s very safe and just as effective as the shot, plus it does not hurt and is less traumatic for children.”


The H1N1 nasal spray is recommended for children ages 2-24 without any health conditions such as asthma. It is thimerisol-free. “At this point, as long as both types of vaccine are available, parents can choose what type of vaccine they want their child to receive,” said Fletcher. “However, if your child is healthy and able to take the nasal spray, please do so. Otherwise, you could be short-changing a child who can only take the vaccine in shot form.”


During Saturday’s clinic, pediatric vaccine will also be available for infants, ages 6-35 months. This vaccine is in the form of a shot and is thimerisol-free.


Thimerisol-free vaccine will also be available for children allergic to thimerisol, a mercury-based preservative used in most vaccines.


For children enrolled in public and parochial schools who returned a consent form to school last week, those forms are now at the health department and will be available when parents arrive at Saturday’s clinic.


If parents received a consent form, but did not return it to their child’s school and they want to bring their child to a health-department sponsored-clinic, they can just bring the completed form with them to the clinic. Forms returned to preschools and daycares need to be picked up by parents and brought to the clinic.


For those who did not receive a consent form, there will be extras at the clinic site. Parents can also download the form from the health department website at www.knoxhealth.com All children under 18 years of age will need a consent form signed by a parent or guardian. Grandparents can bring a child to the clinic as long as the consent form has been signed by the parent or guardian. Youth ages 19-24 can sign for themselves.


There is no charge for the H1N1 vaccine. Individuals do not have to live in Knox County to receive the H1N1 vaccine from the Knox County Health Department.


Besides the clinic on Saturday, the health department is still offering the H1N1 vaccine to pregnant women and caretakers and household contacts of children less that 6 months old. These individuals can receive the vaccine on a walk-in basis, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.