H1N1 Vaccine Clinics Going Strong

More than 1,000 people showed up to a flu clinic at the Delco Center in east Austin Tuesday to receive an H1N1 vaccine, despite a national recall that same day. Today, hundreds more are expected at the Toney Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road, for another clinic. It signals the desire is still strong among central Texans looking to get vaccinated.

"We have a large supply," said Colleen Christian with the Travis County Health and Human Services Department. "We have just about everything we ordered, close to 30,000 doses of the vaccine [in Travis County]. So we’ve got it available to provide to the community."

Health officials recalled 800,000 doses of the H1N1 pre-filled syringe form of the vaccine Tuesday, made by Sanofi Pasteur, because tests indicated the vaccines weren't strong enough. None of the recalled vaccines made it to Travis County.

"The vaccine was fine, there was no problem with the vaccine and it didn’t cause any injury for the children," said Christian. "But they were finding that it just wasn’t as effective. So it wasn’t providing the best protection for the kids. Those lots have been identified. The Austin/Travis County Health Department did not receive any of those vaccines," she said.

Christian said parents should be aware that children need to take two doses of the H1N1 vaccine.

"We recommend for children under 10 years of age that they get 2 doses of the vaccine, and that’s to provide a booster and then also extra coverage for them because sometimes they just haven’t built up the immune system for the seasonal flu or h1n1 flu," said Christian.

Parents are taking all the precautions they can to keep their kids healthy. "It was just something that I thought needed to be done for my family," said Mandy Pape. "The swine flu is very rampant right now. I felt the need to protect my family at all costs."

The recall did little to slow the traffic in and out of the Delco Center Tuesday. Health officials in Travis County expect a similar turnout today as thousands more doses will be made available to the public. "We've noticed there is still a demand here," said Christian. "We're booking all our appointments to capacity at each clinic. So we know the demand is still there."

Also, health leaders are no longer strictly focusing on the target groups: pregnant women, children, those who work with young children, or those with chronic health problems. Since the supply of the vaccine has greatly increased, anyone is welcome to receive a shot.

"We have it available for anybody that’s interested because it’s good to protect yourself," said Christian. "The vaccine is the best protection we have against the H1N1 virus, along with washing your hands, covering your cough, and most importantly, staying home when you’re sick."

The flu clinics will be held on the following dates:

• Today, December 17 from 1-6 p.m. at the Toney Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road
• Saturday, January 9 from 1-6 p.m. at the Toney Burger Center
• Thursday, January 21 from 1-6 p.m. at the Delco Center 4601 Pecan Brook Drive

The clinics are free and open to the public. Appointments are accepted, but walk-ins are welcome.