Published: November 08, 2009 12:07 am      

Weekend flu clinic reaches 1,142

DANVILLE — People were standing in line at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, waiting for the doors to open at Vermilion County Health Department’s third H1N1 vaccination clinic.

By the end of the six-hour clinic, 1,142 people had been vaccinated.

“While we thought we might have a big crowd, we did not expect them to start lining up as early as they did,” said Linda Bolton, community relations/health education program coordinator with the health department. She estimated more than 250 people were in line when the doors opened at 10 a.m.

She said because the clinic had been well planned, the staff was able to work through the line fairly quickly. “We were able to get the last of the line in the door in under 90 minutes. People were so positive as they were leaving, and we are very grateful we planned and staffed this clinic as well as we did,” she said.

The health department gave more than 2,100 vaccinations during its first two clinics last week at South View Middle School in Danville. Adding in Saturday’s total, the health department has now given more than 3,200 vaccinations.

The health department is offering public clinics focused initially on those most at risk from the complications from the H1N1 virus, including pregnant women, healthcare workers and emergency medical personnel, those who care for infants under 6 months old, children and youth ages 6 months to 24 years, and people ages 25 to 64 with underlying health conditions. Vaccina-tions will be offered to the general public in the near future.

Health department staff will be at the civic center in McFerren Park in Hoopeston from 1-7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. “These will be our first clinics for those at risk who live in the northern section of the county, and we expect to be very busy,” Bolton said.

H1N1 vaccination clinics will be held in Georgetown the following week, from 1-7 p.m. Nov. 17 and 18 at the Banquet Center at the Georgetown Fairgrounds.

FYI

The health department’s vaccination clinic schedule is available on the Web site, http://www.vchd.org.