Monday's public H1N1 flu vaccine clinic offered by the Placer County Health and Human Services’ Public Health Division and the City of Rocklin was a big success – over 550 people were immunized. In addition, due to a lower than expected turnout of residents at higher risk for complications of H1N1 flu, this clinic was opened up to all residents.
Placer County’s remaining three public H1N1 vaccine clinics this week have also been changed to be open to all Placer County residents, regardless of age or health status. The schedule for these clinics, held in partnership with the respective cities, is:
- Wed., Dec. 16, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the North Tahoe Event Center, 8318 North Lake Boulevard, Kings Beach, CA
- Thurs., Dec. 17, from Noon to 4:00 p.m., at the Roseville Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Dr., Roseville, CA
- Fri., Dec. 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Gold Country Fairgrounds, 1273 High St., Auburn, CA.
Since early November, Placer County has been conducting school-based vaccination clinics, ensuring that hospitals and those involved in emergency response are able to vaccinate staff and higher risk patients, and ensuring that obstetricians, pediatricians, and family practice physicians have vaccine to vaccinate higher risk patients. Placer County will continue these school-based clinics and outreach efforts so that as many individuals in higher risk groups that wish to be vaccinated for H1N1 flu, sometimes referred to as the “swine flu,” have the opportunity to receive the vaccine.
All residents are encouraged to be vaccinated against H1N1 flu, and those in the “target groups” for this vaccine are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated. The target groups, as identified by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include:
- Pregnant women;
- People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age;
- Health care and emergency medical personnel;
- Anyone from 6 months through 24 years of age;
- Anyone from 25 through 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system.
As additional vaccine arrives later this month, Placer County will schedule additional H1N1 vaccine clinics for all Placer County residents.
Physicians in the community are beginning to receive additional vaccine as well, so individuals may wish to contact their healthcare provider to see if they now have vaccine available.
Placer County will provide information through its web site, www.placer.ca.gov. To receive future information about flu clinics through direct e-mail, consider signing up for the county’s free e-newsletter, available at the above web address.
The upcoming vaccination clinics will be free of charge.