H1N1 vaccine clinic draws thousands By Mary Beth Almond OAKLAND COUNTY — Two hours before the doors were set to open at the Oakland County Health Division’s fourth H1N1 vaccination clinic, thousands of people had already lined up in the parking lot at The Palace of Auburn Hills in anticipation of getting inoculated. When the doors opened at 2 p.m., pregnant women, parents with young children, and those with underlying health conditions quickly filed inside, forming a lengthy line that wound around the concourse. Because the initial supply of the H1N1 vaccine is limited, county officials strongly encouraged only those in the target population in Oakland County to visit the clinic and get vaccinated. Since April, there have been 32 reported H1N1-related deaths in Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. There are 36,000 deaths every year in the U.S. due to the seasonal flu, and an estimated 1,200 in Michigan, according to James McCurtis of the Michigan Department of Community Health. How the H1N1 virus stacks up to that is still undetermined, although those in the medical community say that while the swine flu is far more prevalent than the seasonal flu, its fatality rate is no different. “The case fatality rate for this virus, when you look at people who actually get sick with the H1N1 virus and end up dying, their chance is less than 0.1 percent, which is the same number they use for the seasonal flu,” said Dr. Gregory Holzman, state chief medical executive. “The big difference on this virus is because the immunity is not out in the community, you can expect it to spread.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided strict guidelines identifying the target population as those who are at greatest risk for severe disease. The target population includes pregnant women, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years; caregivers for children under 6 months of age; adults ages 25-64 with underlying medical conditions; and health care workers and emergency medical services workers. After filling out paperwork in the hallways, attendees were guided to the main vaccination area, where around 200 volunteers and health care workers at numbered stations were on hand to administer more than 10,000 doses of the free vaccine. “We have both the nasal spray and the injections here today, so people have a choice when they come through the line,” said Kathy Forzley, manager/health officer for the Oakland County Health Division. George Rosentrater, 61, of Rochester Hills arrived at The Palace at 1 p.m. and said it took him about an hour of waiting in line before he received the vaccine. Rosentrater said he decided to go to the clinic after his doctor and cardiologist recommended he get the vaccine. “I figure it’s like any other flu, you know. You might get it. You might not. They say its pretty dangerous, so, with a heart condition, I figured I’d better get (the vaccine),” he said. Katy St. Henry of Lake Orion brought her 2-year-old daughter Comella to receive the vaccine. “Comella’s in daycare two days a week, so I figured she was at high risk being at a daycare, so I wanted to make sure she got the vaccination,” she said. “But certainly, if I saw any symptoms, I would get her right in (to her doctor), I wouldn’t wait.” At 3:10 p.m., Forzley said the clinic was going “very well,” and noted that far more people had shown up early for this clinic than any of the others. “We’re getting the majority of the line into the building. It took us awhile to start getting it into the building because people did line up early, but that’s the whole point of being here at The Palace today, to get as many people indoors as soon as possible. Also, this venue offers ample parking outside,” she said. Later that day, the crowds showed no signs of dissipating, despite blustering winds, freezing rain, and increasing wait times. At 4:15 p.m. attendees reportedly waited an average of 2 1/2 hours in line before receiving the vaccine. Though no one was allowed to enter The Palace doors after 8 p.m., volunteers and healthcare workers were expected to remain onsite to finish the vaccinations of those who had already made it through the doors until around 10 p.m. Forzley said she expected around 10,000 people to have filtered through The Palace by the time the clinic ended. “We will have more clinics, but whether or not it’s in a venue such as this is yet to be determined,” Forzley said. Updates on the availability of the H1N1 vaccine are available on the county Web site at www.oakgov.com/health or by calling the Health Division’s flu shot hot line at (800) 434-3358. You can reach Staff Writer Mary Beth Almond at malmond@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1060. |
