Swine flu shot clinics to begin next week - Sentinel & Enterprise

Large doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine will be available starting next week for children ages 6 months to 18 years through free clinics in Fitchburg and Gardner sponsored by Community Health Connections Family Health Centers.

[anonymous]

I heard these are only open to Fitchburg and gardner residents. If that is true it should be made clearer in the article and why aren't the other CHC getting some of the vaccines?

[LoLBama]

Great timing, my son already has the swine flu 3 weeks ago as well as 60% of his class. Good Job .Gov

[Resident]

LoLBama wrote:

Great timing, my son already has the swine flu 3 weeks ago as well as 60% of his class. Good Job .Gov

I'm no fan of Deval's but blaming him for production and the demand of the vaccine seems misplaced, don't you think? What could he have done to get the vaccine here sooner? What Governor could have gotten it here sooner? I'm all for pointing out a politician's failures and celebrating their accomplishments but you're being unreasonable here.

[Laugh]

Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm no fan of Deval's but blaming him for production and the demand of the vaccine seems misplaced, don't you think? What could he have done to get the vaccine here sooner? What Governor could have gotten it here sooner? I'm all for pointing out a politician's failures and celebrating their accomplishments but you're being unreasonable here.

I agree - it isn't the governor's fault.

[Thumper]

I called the Gardner CHC this morning. The article says that other groups including health care workers were given the vaccine at these locations. They were not. The regular flu shot clinic in Gardner that was supposed to happen on November 7th was cancelled. The Sentinel was told in a previous article in October that the CHC had 10,000 doses of the regular flu vaccine to give out that day at their locations. So why cancel the flu shot clinic? On the CHC website and in their lobby is a sign saying they are giving their regular patients the H1N1 and regular flu shots if they schedule an appointment with one of the nurses. I have one parent that is a health care student and has a major illness and her primary care physician says he will not be giving out either the H1N1 or regular flu shot this year. We have been looking around to see if we can find another place to get one and this clinic was our only possible location at this time. The CHC is supposed to help out the COMMUNITY not just current patients. Glad the children around here will be getting some help. How about adults with major illnesses? I also have a problem with people who are bringing their children to these local public H1N1 clinics from other states. These people were coming from New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Taking doses away from Massachusetts residents. I do not think that the CHC will turn your child away if they are a local resident but you had better call them before you show up.

[Kelly]

I took my two young girls to the clinic in Fitchburg last night around 6:30. No lines whatsoever! They only ask for names and ages of the children, not residency.

[Tiffany from Fitchburg]

Thumper wrote:

I called the Gardner CHC this morning. The article says that other groups including health care workers were given the vaccine at these locations. They were not. The regular flu shot clinic in Gardner that was supposed to happen on November 7th was cancelled. The Sentinel was told in a previous article in October that the CHC had 10,000 doses of the regular flu vaccine to give out that day at their locations. So why cancel the flu shot clinic? On the CHC website and in their lobby is a sign saying they are giving their regular patients the H1N1 and regular flu shots if they schedule an appointment with one of the nurses. I have one parent that is a health care student and has a major illness and her primary care physician says he will not be giving out either the H1N1 or regular flu shot this year. We have been looking around to see if we can find another place to get one and this clinic was our only possible location at this time. The CHC is supposed to help out the COMMUNITY not just current patients. Glad the children around here will be getting some help. How about adults with major illnesses? I also have a problem with people who are bringing their children to these local public H1N1 clinics from other states. These people were coming from New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Taking doses away from Massachusetts residents. I do not think that the CHC will turn your child away if they are a local resident but you had better call them before you show up.

Depending on your mother's age, she may already be immune. I remember seeing something reported early on that older adults carry a lesser risk because of the 1918 Pandemic strain that was around until the 1950s.