Wahkiakum County H1N1 vaccine clinic set

Wahkiakum County Health & Human Service will hold an H1N1 vaccine clinic this Friday (November 13) from 1-5 p.m. at the Cathlamet Fire Hall.

Because supplies are limited, vaccine will be given only to the following priority groups:

• Pregnant women because they are at high risk of complications from H1N1.

• Healthcare workers because they can be a potential source of infection for vulnerable populations and also because absenteeism among health care professionals could reduce healthcare system capacity.

• Children ages six months through age 19 in group settings, which increases the likelihood of disease spread.

• Parents and caregivers of children younger than six months, so they don’t pass the virus to their infants.

• People six months old through age 64 who have chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung, and kidney disease, as well as others that put them at risk of complications from H1N1 influenza.

For more information, call 795-6207 or toll free 888-452-0326.

Prioritizing who receives H1N1 vaccine has been necessary because of the very small amounts of vaccine received to date in Southwest Washington. As vaccine production increases over the coming weeks, health officials expect enough vaccine will eventually be available for everyone. For more information, visit http://www.FluNewsSWWashington.org or call 1-877-510-2772.