BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL
DANVILLE — The Vermilion County Health Department has set forward its first month of scheduled vaccination clinics in the county.
Ten in all, the clinics will be in Danville, Hoopeston and in Georgetown starting Nov. 3.
Health department administrator Steve Laker said the county received about 18,000 doses, or about 45 percent of its order thus far, allowing the health department to initiate the clinics. Heath officials had said previously the clinics were expected to start at the beginning of November.
The vaccinations will concentrate on five groups of residents to begin with, following guidelines set forward by the Centers for Disease Control. Those groups are pregnant women; people who live with or care for children under 6 months old; health care and emergency medical personnel; people ages 6 months through 24 years; and people between 25 and 64 years old who have health conditions that run a risk of health complications
A parent or guardian must accompany children 18 and under for vaccinations and children under 10 must have two vaccinations separated by 28 days, according to the health department. Pregnant and breast-feeding women must bring a signed order from their doctor authorizing the vaccination.
Once the priority groups are vaccinated, the health department will begin vaccinating all county residents between 25 and 64 years old. Those older than 64 will be the last group to receive the vaccination.
Laker confirmed the doses received by the health department do contain Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative to prevent contamination. He said the preservative is safe and no one has expressed concern or questions locally regarding it.
The health department continues to receive volunteers willing to help with the clinics after the county put out the call last week for assistance.
Laker said the response as been “very, very good” so far, with the department fielding as many as 70 people calling about either volunteering or helping as vaccinators.
Laker said he expects the clinics to run until as least January and would not be surprised to see more vaccination clinics scheduled up to March.
WHAT’S NEXT
No appointment is necessary for the county health department’s H1N1 clinics. The current schedule is:
-- Nov. 3-4 at Southview Middle School Gymnasium from 1-7 p.m.
-- Nov. 7 at the Vermilion County Health Department from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
-- Nov. 9-10 at the Hoopeston Civic Center in McFerren Park from 1-7 p.m.
-- Nov. 17-18 in the Banquet Center on the Georgetown Fairgounds from 1-7 p.m.
-- Nov. 21 at the Vermilion County Health Department from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
-- Dec. 1-2 at East Park Elementary School Gymnasium from 1-7 p.m.
