Two more H1N1 vaccine clinics set for next week in B-N

Paul Swiech

Nov. 7, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- BLOOMINGTON -- McLean County residents will have more opportunities to fight the novel flu bug.

The county health department announced Friday that it has scheduled additional H1N1 influenza vaccination clinics for 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum, 101 S. Madison St., Bloomington.

County residents are asked to enter from the north side of the Coliseum for the free injection.

The clinics were scheduled as the number of H1N1 cases continues to grow.

Statewide, 1,003 people have been hospitalized with the novel virus and 36 have died, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

In McLean County, two people -- an 18-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman -- have died. Thirty-four people have been confirmed as having H1N1, health department director Walt Howe said. Many more people have had the virus but weren't sick enough to be hospitalized, Howe has said.

About 4,700 people were vaccinated at the county's first two clinics.

Tuesday's clinic will be for county residents age 18 and older who are pregnant, live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months old, are health care or emergency services workers, are 18 through 24 years old, or are 25 through 64 with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system, said health depart-ment spokeswoman Erin Tolle Link.

Thursday's clinic will be for residents ages 6 months through 17 years old. Parents or legal guardians accompanying children and teens also may be vaccinated if they are in a priority group, Link said.

But Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan University students are not eligible to be vaccinated at health department clinics, even if the students are county residents. The department advised students to check with their university health service for information on vaccine availability.

"Because Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University both ordered vaccine with plans to vaccinate their students...we wanted to focus on the general public who wouldn't be able to get vaccinated in another manner," Link said.

Meanwhile, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln decided Friday to control the spread of flu by limiting hospital visitors to people 18 and older who are free of flu symptoms and who are spouses, partners and family members of patients.

Logan County Department of Public Health announced that it will begin giving seasonal flu shots to people age 64 and older beginning 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday at the health department in Lincoln. The cost is $30.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0166-39535097