Published: January 21, 2010 08:02 pm      

HEALTH: H1N1 clinic to be held Thursday

An H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine clinic will be held Thursday at Wise Middle School. Hosted by the Orleans County Health Department, the free clinic will allow children, along with the community, to receive vaccines.

“I think the school-based clinics are very important,” said Director Paul Pettit. “A lot of students and younger adults have not had the opportunity to get the shot.”

He said that by holding clinics in the schools, it gives the health department an opportunity to bring the vaccine to the students.

The clinic will be open to Medina students from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; from 4 to 7 p.m., the clinic will open to the public.

Pettit said that it will be open to anyone, even those living outside of Orleans County.

“It’s a community clinic,” Pettit said. “We want to get as many people vaccinated as we can. This is the first clinic we’ve done beyond Albion and the health department. We’re hoping the residents in the county who couldn’t make it to Albion may show up.”

Both the H1N1 injected shot and nasal spray form will be available, as well as the season flu vaccine.

Pettit said that he’s been working with the different Orleans County school districts since September, trying to organize the clinics. He hopes to hold more in February at other area schools.

“We really think this is an important thing, not only for our students, but also for their parents and everyone else in their households,” Superintendent Neal Miller said. “We’re recommending all of our families come in during the evening.”

Miller reminds the district that even though H1N1 has not been very prominent in the news lately, it is not gone.

“Health officials are saying with all of these types of illnesses, there is usually a third wave,” Miller said. “We’ve had two waves. We haven’t have a third one, so it’s still very important you get these shots.”

Letters were sent out to parents this week asking permission for their children to receive the vaccine. For the community, no appointment is needed. Anyone 6 months of age or older may get the vaccine.

Visit www.orleansny.com for more information.

Contact reporter Rikki Cason at 798-1400, ext. 8227.