A drive-through flu vaccination clinic scheduled on Oct. 6 has been canceled because adequate vaccine is not available, and seasonal flu vaccinations are no longer available on a walk-in basis at the Lyon County Health Department, 420 W. 15th Ave.
Vaccines remain available, however, through the Veterans Administration for veterans enrolled in the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System. Vets who bring their VA identification cards may stop in at the Community Based Outpatient Clinic at 12th Avenue and Chestnut Street on Oct. 12 and 26 and Nov. 2 and 9. Each clinic session will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The changes in health department plans resulted from a shortage of supplies of seasonal flu vaccine.
According to information from Ann Mayo, Lyon County health officer, previously scheduled vaccination clinics at local businesses will be completed as planned.
“However, the drive-through vaccination clinic for the seasonal flu scheduled at the Anderson Building on Oct. 6 has been canceled due to the lack of currently available vaccine,” Mayo said in a news release.
“The vaccine manufacturer states that all vaccine orders for seasonal flu will be fulfilled, with the last shipment occurring in November. However, at this time, the date of the next shipment has not been established.”
H1N1 vaccine will be ordered this week, Mayo said. She anticipates that early shipments will be small and will be targeted for priority groups:
• pregnant women
• children 6 months to 23 months
• household members and out-of-home caregivers of infants under 6 months of age*
• adults and children 2 years of age and older with chronic metabolic diseases like diabetes, kidney diseases, blood disorders or weakened immune systems
• health-care workers who provide direct, hands-on patient care with regular frequency to the priority group patients listed above
*Children under the age of 6 months cannot be vaccinated.
Mayo again emphasized that to reduce or slow the spread of influenza, the health department recommends:
• stay home if you are sick
• stay home for 24 hours after fever is gone, and you have not used fever-reducing medications
• wash and dry hands often
• sneeze into the crook of your elbow or into a tissue and dispose of it properly