Thousands turn out for H1N1 clinic

As thousands lined up for free H1N1 vaccinations in Douglas County on Thursday, a county health official stressed that doses of the vaccine are being sent to area physicians.

When another shipment goes out today, a total of about 10,000 doses will have been sent to area physicians, said Phil Rooney of the Douglas County Health Department. People should continue calling their doctors or come to one of the county's public health clinics, he said.

“There's a lot of people to get vaccinated, and we have to use a lot of channels to get it done,” Rooney said. “We're trying to get it out to people as many ways as we can, as quickly as possible.”

Thousands turned out Thursday for the county's first public clinic for H1N1 flu vaccinations, forming a line that at one time ran out of the First United Methodist Church to the east, then down 69th Street before hooking west along Cass Street toward 72nd Street.

Some in line questioned why those doses of the vaccine couldn't be made available through personal physicians.

Melissa Pruch was in line with her 2½-year-old daughter, Lydia, about 8:30 a.m. “Now we're standing out here in the cold, so is she going to get sick from that?”

Despite the move to get more vaccine into the hands of local doctors, public clinics are important, Rooney said, particularly for those who lack a regular physician.

“It's important we're able to reach a wider range of people, to serve them. Everybody doesn't have a regular doctor, and a lot of doctors' offices are booked up.”

By 3 p.m. the clinic had averaged more than 400 shots per hour. The clinic began turning away people about 6:25 p.m., when health officials estimated that the number of people in line were enough to fill the clinic until it was expected to close, at 8 p.m.

“There hasn't been a clinic this size done in the county or in the surrounding counties recently,” he said. “We were prepared for a very large crowd, and that's what we've got.”

As the H1N1 vaccine has become available locally, people have flocked to get the shots.

Last month in Oakland, Iowa, people began lining up six hours early; more than 600 got vaccinated. A clinic in Papillion in October drew several hundred.

Doses generally have been reserved for people in groups considered most at risk of suffering complications, or for certain caretakers.

The targeted groups include pregnant women, health care providers, children and adolescents, people age 25 through 64 with chronic medical problems, and those who care for infants.

Thursday's clinic was conducted on the honor system, Rooney said.

“We trust this community,” he said.

Dr. Joann Schaefer, chief medical officer in Nebraska, said the number of doses available in Nebraska has increased over the past two weeks from 61,900 to 130,400.

“I think it's improving,” Schaefer said.

Dr. Anne O'Keefe, the Douglas County Health Department's senior epidemiologist, said the county is at least one or two weeks from opening clinics for people outside the targeted groups.

The federal government expects H1N1 vaccine doses to arrive in large quantities soon, O'Keefe said.

Other than family physicians, officials recommend using the county's H1N1 hot line, 444-3400, to learn about coming clinics; accessing the county's Web site, www.douglascountyhealth.com (click on “Public H1N1 Flu Vaccinations” ), or checking the state's Web site, www.dhhs.ne.gov, where statewide information is available through a vaccination clinic locator.

World-Herald staff writer Rick Ruggles contributed to this report.

Contact the writer:

444-1074, john.keenan@owh.com