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Response to local H1N1 vac clinic


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http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/overwhelming-response-to-h1n1-clinic-closes-fairgrounds-362682.html?cxtype=rss_local-news

 

HAMILTON — Due to the overwhelming turnout for the H1N1 clinic at the Butler County Fairgrounds, county health officials say they won’t be accepting anymore people today, Oct. 23.

By 10a.m., more than 1,000 rain-soaked people had lined up at the fairgrounds for a two-day swine flu clinic to be held today and Saturday, Oct. 24. But as the crowds began to swell and health officials became concerned about their supply of the vaccine, a news release was sent out at 10:45 a.m. saying the fairgrounds were being shut down.

“It’s getting to the point where it’s getting dangerous,†Tricia Anglin, nursing director for the county health department, said of the growing crowds.

Anglin said county health officials expected a huge crowd after receiving roughly 1,100 pre-registrations for the clinic. She said the agency received many calls from people out of state, including Tennessee, North Carolina and Indiana, seeking the vaccine.

Anglin said she doesn’t think health officials have enough supply of the ingestible vaccines to last the rest of today. She said there may be enough flu mist to carry over into Saturday.

Many area residents, from infants to senior citizens, waited for hours in a steady rain and long line that snaked around the entire fairgrounds. There people in wheelchairs and lawnchairs. Some wore surgical masks.

Parking is at a premium, as cars are stacked up all along Ohio 4 trying to get onto the fairgrounds.

Kim Binkley, 47, of Trenton, said she arrived at 6:30 a.m. to make sure she got the vaccine.

 

I wonder how many of these people will get sick, waiting for hours in the rain in temperatures in the 50's?

 

The flu is already here, with absentee rates up to 33% in some classrooms, that I know of first hand.

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http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/overwhelming-response-to-h1n1-clinic-closes-fairgrounds-362682.html?cxtype=rss_local-news

 

 

 

I wonder how many of these people will get sick, waiting for hours in the rain in temperatures in the 50's?

 

The flu is already here, with absentee rates up to 33% in some classrooms, that I know of first hand.

 

People were lined up for hours with infants in the rain? Infants? In the rain?

 

I live a sheltered existence if things are that bad and I thus far have had no idea. :confused:

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It seems people are their own worst enemy. It's one thing to research all you can about something than can be fatal, it's another to react out of that fear. These people are reacting out of fear without giving thought to how they may be endangering their own health.

 

I have no problem with live virus vaccines, but we've used them in cattle enough to know that the animal should be healthy when administered. I wonder how these people will react to the FluMist after standing in the rain for hours? And with the flu already here, what are the chances the kid standing next in line with your kid has the flu and not just a cold?

 

In our household we have 3 children from 6 - 10, my husband with health issues that put him at risk, our 28 year old daughter with a 3 week old infant. That's enough risk for me to think we should get the vaccine but not by risking our health to get it.

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It seems people are their own worst enemy. It's one thing to research all you can about something than can be fatal, it's another to react out of that fear. These people are reacting out of fear without giving thought to how they may be endangering their own health.

 

 

 

That was my thought. Hysteria is the only thing I can imagine inspiring someone to stand for hours in the rain with an infant in a massive crowd during flu season for a vaccine.

 

It would appear that a little common sense would be a better prevention in this case.

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I do think maybe it's the media? I don't watch much TV, but I happened to watch part of 60 Minutes the other night and after scaring people half to death with the story of a healthy high school boy deathly ill from h1n1, they then talked to the govt's head vax guru about the vital importance of getting vax.

 

I think what people missed was that practically every other kid on the boy's football team AND all the cheerleaders also got h1n1, and were totally fine. Which seems to be the numbers going around-yes, there is that very tiny percentage of people who are otherwise healthy that h1n1 affects like this, which is indeed so terrible, but mainly so far it seems generally mild.

 

I was struck by how they emphasized the ONE scary case and played down the rest. And this was just one show that I happened to catch. If people who watch a lot of tv are getting inundated with this message on numerous shows, they're probably running scared.

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It would appear that a little common sense would be a better prevention in this case.

 

That, and better organisation of the distribution somehow...

 

...It'll be interesting to see what happens in our town on Monday..they're supposed to start the H1N1 shots on Monday and so far the *only* place listed for doing them is a local high school, in the gym. I'm 99% sure at this point that we're going, so we'll get to see the mess first hand. :glare:

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I think people are also panicking because they think the vax will run out.

 

I was cracking up when I heard about this thinking the same thing.... you are standing in the rain in the 40-50s for up to 5 hours with small children in a muddy field!? For a questionably hyped-up vax? Most of those people will now get a serious cold, if not the flu from either the nasal mist or someone they were standing next to who had it, but not showing symptoms. ARE YOU CRAZY!?

 

This was not far from where I live, so there was a lot of news coverage and people calling into radio shows. I was happy, in my house, shaking my head.

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I think people are scared yes - because this is scary! People are dying from this - perfectly healthy youngpeople. Perfectly healthy children. The people who normally bounce right back from a flu. Almost half of the people who've been hospitalized with a severe case have had *no other medical conditions*. What is it, a third of those who've died had no other conditions?

 

I find the thought of someone in my family DYING to be very, very frightening.

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Most of those people will now get a serious cold, if not the flu from either the nasal mist or someone they were standing next to who had it, but not showing symptoms.

 

What amazes me about this situation is that next year when the flu season is approaching, these people will swear off vaccinations because "last year I got it and three days later I got sick with the flu, so the vac gives you the flu." Um, no the flu exposure from the crowd gave it to you...the vac didn't yet have time to build your immunity to it. :001_huh:

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I think people are scared yes - because this is scary! People are dying from this - perfectly healthy youngpeople. Perfectly healthy children. The people who normally bounce right back from a flu. Almost half of the people who've been hospitalized with a severe case have had *no other medical conditions*. What is it, a third of those who've died had no other conditions?

 

I find the thought of someone in my family DYING to be very, very frightening.

 

:iagree: When we explained to our dc last night that we were getting the shots I looked at each of them and my heart ached at the very thought of losing one of them. We were supposed to go today but woke up late and I knew the line would be ridiculous (no rain or cold here, however). So maybe next weekend. I wouldn't stand in line for hours w/small children and definitely not an infant for the vaccine, though! Right now I'm just hoping there is another shipment of the vaccine by next weekend so we can get this over with. I have a fear of H1N1 - a healthy fear. ;)
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in my county, all public schools will be giving the vaccine but only to students that attend that school. THere is one clinic scheduled at a local college but only for high risk groups. Some peditricians will have the vaccine but only for kids that are not in school (I assume this will include homeschoolers).

 

I have had pneumonia twice , don't know if that would put me in a risk group of not. I am also 56 so maybe I already have some immunity from the past.

 

THere is not a date yet for when the schools will be giving the shots. My dc's loctor told me "just some time in Nov, they should have the vaccine".

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I think people are scared yes - because this is scary! People are dying from this - perfectly healthy youngpeople. Perfectly healthy children. The people who normally bounce right back from a flu. Almost half of the people who've been hospitalized with a severe case have had *no other medical conditions*. What is it, a third of those who've died had no other conditions?

 

I find the thought of someone in my family DYING to be very, very frightening.

:iagree: When we explained to our dc last night that we were getting the shots I looked at each of them and my heart ached at the very thought of losing one of them. We were supposed to go today but woke up late and I knew the line would be ridiculous (no rain or cold here, however). So maybe next weekend. I wouldn't stand in line for hours w/small children and definitely not an infant for the vaccine, though! Right now I'm just hoping there is another shipment of the vaccine by next weekend so we can get this over with. I have a fear of H1N1 - a healthy fear. ;)

 

We're supposed to go on Monday - it's the first day that they're doing them here and no doubt it'll be nutty. They're supposed to be (so far) at one of the high schools, in the "small gym" (listed as that - I assume this school must have a few gyms)...I can't see it holding many people indoors, so hopefully it isn't TOO crowded...it's awful chilly to stand outside!

 

I suppose I could let the kids wait in the van while I stand in line, if necessary & if I can park where I can see it from the line...my kids are old enough to do that - but that's not really an option for people with littles though...they'd need both Mum and Dad there to take turns waiting in the vehicle, or swap off with another adult friend maybe. And that only works if you can park close enough - from what I read in that news report posted in this thread, people were parked quite a ways off.

 

It starts at 1pm here...I think we'll drive down around 10/11 and see what it looks like..if people are already there, we'll stick around and wing it. Bring some books & cds, they can van-school for a bit. :tongue_smilie:

 

I think this is important. Our whole family has been marked as 'high risk' because of ds10's disabilities, and even without that, I've come down on the side of having the vaccinations because at this point I think, based on my own research and talking with/listening to people who have more knowledge & education than I do (including medical professionals) that the potential risks involved with H1N1 (including DEATH) outweigh the potential risks of the vaccine. Yes, for some people it's just a "mild flu" - but for others it's not. I'm not willing to roll the dice, I guess.

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I have had pneumonia twice , don't know if that would put me in a risk group of not. I am also 56 so maybe I already have some immunity from the past.

 

 

 

have you had a pneumovax vaccine? If you haven't, talk to your dr & get that while you wait for the h1n1.

 

Also has everyone seen the news that your pres. has declared a national H1N1 emergency?

 

Check your news stories for details.

 

There's been a big surge in cases, 41% of H1N1 deaths have occurred in the last 6 weeks. Some hospitals are always dangerously close to being full so even a small surge can exceed capacity..... I'm hearing 20-30K hospitalizations....

 

best wishes & stay healthy everyone

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What amazes me about this situation is that next year when the flu season is approaching, these people will swear off vaccinations because "last year I got it and three days later I got sick with the flu, so the vac gives you the flu." Um, no the flu exposure from the crowd gave it to you...the vac didn't yet have time to build your immunity to it. :001_huh:

 

:iagree:Why arent they handing out masks to stand in line? Or what about drive thru??? Just stick your arm out the window!!!

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